Original Title: City’s Total Retail Sales Exceed 830 Billion Yuan in First Half of the Year, Leading the Nation
Chongqing’s “Yuyue Consumption” Influence Continues to Expand
On August 27, at the press conference marking the fourth anniversary of Chongqing’s efforts to cultivate and build an international consumption center city, relevant municipal department heads stated that in the first half of the year, the city’s total retail sales exceeded 830 billion yuan, a growth of 4.5%. The total volume continues to rise, making it the “top consumption city” in the country.
Drawing on its “landscape” to create a new blueprint for the poetic and picturesque “Bayu New Consumption,” and using “new charm” to empower international-style, Bayu-flavored consumption landmarks and scenes, the influence of “Love Chongqing · Yuyue Consumption” continues to expand.
Dual Drivers: International Brands and Local Characteristics
Chongqing thrives due to its industry and gains popularity through fashion. The city’s path to consumption upgrading has chosen a unique approach driven by both international brands and local characteristics.
In recent years, the city has deeply implemented actions to expand consumption brands, comprehensively enhancing the quality and level of Chongqing’s consumption “international style.”
Focusing on developing the “first-release economy,” it has created a grand urban marketing stage, attracting international famous and high-quality brands to launch new products and open new stores in Chongqing. To date, the city has introduced over 2,200 internationally and domestically renowned brands; in the first half of this year, the number of newly introduced brand flagship stores ranked among the top four in the country.
Focusing on developing the “brand economy,” it leverages Chongqing’s industrial advantages to create globally influential automotive brands, continuously carries out the “Yuche Going Global” special action, and fosters the “top automotive consumption city.” In 2024, the export value of “Made in Chongqing” automobiles increased by over 30%.
Focusing on developing the “cultural economy,” it uses “Yupai craftsmanship” time-honored brands and intangible cultural heritage as its soul to create the “Yubanli” brand, which is “culturally rich, skillfully inherited, and寓意美好 (implies auspicious meanings).” Centered around three categories—”Chongqing flavors, Chongqing artistic creations, Chongqing fine manufacturing”—it has joined hands with over 60特色产品 (characteristic products) such as Tan Mugiang, Rongchang pottery, and Dazu stone carvings to “develop collectively” and “revitalize.” In 2024, the annual revenue of time-honored brands and intangible cultural heritage has exceeded 100 billion yuan.
Policy Innovation Creates a Convenient Consumption Environment
Chongqing’s policy innovations in building an international consumption environment have brought tangible convenience to consumers.
In March 2018, the city began implementing tax refunds for overseas tourists upon departure. In January 2024, it piloted the “buy and refund immediately” departure tax refund. In April of this year, it further optimized the departure tax refund policy. Since April, Chongqing has added over 100 new tax refund stores, bringing the total to 208. Among them, “buy and refund immediately” stores increased by 7, reaching 10.
In terms of expansion, the city actively guides local famous and high-quality specialty product enterprises and time-honored brand companies to apply to become tax refund stores, enhancing the international appeal of Chongqing’s quality goods. The city has also introduced a centralized payment model for the “buy and refund immediately” departure tax refund.
Additionally, the city has achieved cross-provincial handling of the “buy and refund immediately” departure tax refund between Sichuan and Chongqing. Focusing on the joint construction of an international consumption destination by Sichuan and Chongqing, in July of this year, the Chongqing Municipal Taxation Bureau partnered with the Sichuan Provincial Taxation Bureau to pilot a program where overseas tourists can shop and receive tax refunds at “buy and refund immediately” stores in any city in Sichuan or Chongqing, and then choose to depart from either Chengdu Tianfu International Airport or Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport to complete the tax refund verification.
Integration of Commerce, Culture, Tourism, and Sports Activates New Consumption Scenes
Through deep integration of commerce, culture, tourism, and sports, Chongqing has innovated consumption scenes and created a batch of new consumption spaces with Bayu characteristics.
In recent years, the city has fully integrated into the construction of an international consumption center