Most Chinese shoppers are cautious when going out, survey shows
Shoppers walk into the newly opened Sam’s Club in Beijing on December 23, 2022, the chain’s fourth store in the Chinese capital.
Trieu Tuan | China News Service | beautiful pictures
BEIJING — Most Chinese still don’t want to leave their apartments, even though Covid-related restrictions have been eased, a survey by Oliver Wyman shows.
More than 90% of consumers surveyed over the weekend said they were avoiding going out, the consulting firm said. Nearly 60% of respondents said they would be uncomfortable going out in public for at least the next few months.
After months of applying increasingly strict measures to control the Covid-19 epidemic, mainland China unexpectedly lifted most of its restrictions in early December. Meanwhile, infections. start to increase in Beijing and then other cities, such as Shanghai. Visits to fever clinics skyrocketed, put pressure on an already strained public health system.
Kenneth Chow, principal of Oliver Wyman, said in an email this week: “We observed many major streets and shopping centers deserted in December.
“Due to an increase in infections, many of the businesses we spoke to have expressed concern about labor shortages as a significant portion of their employees have taken sick leave and some are struggling to maintain their jobs. their level of service,” Chow said.
Anecdotes, while more people went out to the mall and attractions in Beijing over the weekend, not all stores have reopened. Venues are modestly crowded but not at the cramped levels typical of a city of 22 million people before the pandemic.
Oliver Wyman says only 8% of consumers surveyed feel comfortable going out right now.
The study included 4,500 Chinese over 16 years old, of all city sizes, and was weighted to represent China’s urban population.
According to surveys conducted by the People’s Bank of China over the past two decades, locals more concerned with saving than spending have risen to a record high this year.
Nearly 62% of respondents said they would rather save than spend or invest, according to fourth-quarter results released Tuesday. That’s up from about 58% earlier this year.
The survey said those who plan to spend more are most interested in doing so in healthcare and education.
Overall caution when traveling
And although the data shows a growing interest in tourism, the Oliver Wyman survey indicates that most Chinese remain cautious.
Less than a fifth of respondents said they plan to travel during the upcoming Lunar New Year in late January, the consulting firm said, noting that Chinese are more interested in travel if they are richer.
However, the survey was taken before China announced on Monday that starting January 8, travelers will no longer need to be quarantined upon arrival on the mainland.