Retail sales of consumer goods in south China's Guangdong Province reached 788.3 billion yuan
(US$98.5 billion) in 2005, up 15 percent year-on-year, and ranking
first in the country for 23 years in a row.
Statistics from a recent modern logistic industry conference
held suggested that with the opening of new shopping outlets by
international retail giants such as Walmart and Carrefour last
year, some US$600 million of foreign contractual investment flew to
the wholesale and retail business in Guangdong in
2005.??
So far, the province has more than 200 shopping malls each with
a business area of above 10,000 square
meters.??
Tong Xing, vice governor of Guangdong said that in the next
step, the province will smooth out the logistic flow for selling
farm produce from the rural area to downtown
markets.??
He said that Guangdong also plans to take five years to set up
100 consumer goods distribution centers in county-level cities, 625
shops in townships and 15,000 shops in villages to prosper the
retail business in rural area.
(Xinhua News Agency May 5, 2006)