The overall operation of the consumer market in Shanxi province remained stable in the first quarter of 2022.

The province's total retail sales of consumer goods reached 178.83 billion yuan ($26.83 billion) in the first three months, an increase of 2.1 percent year-on-year. 

However, due to the new wave of COVID-19 in some cities in the province since March, consumption and travel activity have declined significantly, which has had a signfiicant impact on the consumer market.

To boost consumption, the Shanxi Department of Commerce issued a plan in February, putting forward measures to build consumption upgrade platforms, promote the innovative development of the retail industry, improve rural comprehensive consumption, and offer more consumption policy guidance. 

At the beginning of March, Shanxi launched a consumption promotion series that will run throughout the year. Local cities' bureaus of commerce, key enterprises and business associations have been carrying out promotions focusing on catering, e-commerce, home appliances and furnishing, and automobile consumption, which have created a good atmosphere and further unleashed consumption potential.