A publicity campaign marking World Consumer Rights Day on March 15 was held in North China's Shanxi province on March 14.

The event, hosted by the Shanxi Market Regulation Bureau and Shanxi Consumers Association, announced the top 10 hotspots of consumer complaints and consumption suggestions in the province in 2021 and typical cases of consumer rights protection, and launched a series of online and offline activities.

The campaign aimed to promote fairness in consumption, share the fruits of consumption and development, and better prioritize the protection of consumers' legitimate rights and interests.

Last year, Shanxi focused on the needs of the masses and carried out in-depth special rectification in key consumption areas, such as internet consumption, agricultural and rural markets, food and drugs, and epidemic prevention supplies. 

The province's market regulation authorities and consumer associations received 299,395 reports, complaints and inquiries. Among them, 30 percent were complaints, of which the top five areas of criticism were quality, after-sales service, contracts, food safety, and advertising. 

In the complaint cases, 51.17 million yuan ($8.02 million) of economic losses were recovered for consumers.