Sichuan province has launched a grand consumption season to boost market vitality and unleash spending potential by enriching consumer experiences and holding promotional events.

The campaign that kicked off on Monday and ends in late May involves 21 cities and prefectures across the province, 17 trade associations and 11,000 businesses in more than 30,000 promotional activities, according to provincial authorities.

A key focus is leveraging Sichuan's advantages in the night economy to connect emerging consumption trends and drive growth in both quantity and quality, officials said.

The Sichuan provincial commerce department plans to establish 20 nightlife landmarks, designate 100 nighttime economy hubs and develop immersive nighttime consumption scenarios in commercial streets across the province.

To support nightlife businesses, Sichuan will extend subway operating hours and appoint Lantern Keepers, or After-Hours City Coordinators, to facilitate nighttime economic activities, the department said.

The 2024 Night Economy Development Report released by online services giant Meituan found that nighttime spending accounted for 50.8 percent of Sichuan's total consumption last year, the highest proportion among all Chinese provinces. Growth in night consumption last year drove the province's overall consumption growth by 7 percent, the report said.

Li Ning, vice-president of public affairs at Meituan, said Sichuan ranked second nationally in nighttime leisure and entertainment orders in 2024, with teahouse consumption leading all Chinese provinces and provincial-level regions.

Fueled by major sporting events, including the Chengdu World University Games in 2023, nighttime spending on sports and fitness saw remarkable growth in Chengdu, the Sichuan capital, surging 97 percent year-on-year, he said.

Li emphasized Sichuan's nighttime economy appeal to non-local visitors. The province's nighttime consumption is primarily driven by people age 25 to 35, with 48 percent of them coming from outside the province, he added.

Li Meng, a business owner at Chengdu's Tiexiangsi Water Street, said distinctive nighttime consumption scenarios will significantly strengthen the street's appeal to consumers. "The night tours in hanfu (traditional Chinese attire) have increased the average customer spending of nearby businesses by 25 percent," he said.

[email protected]