Xiamen buzzes with energy as May Day festivities drive spending surge

During the May Day holiday, Xiamen ignited with over 100 events, showcasing a thriving consumer market.

The city focused on key consumption sectors to drive sustained growth, with robust sales at supermarkets, department stores, and home appliance stores — many enterprises reported significant year-on-year revenue increases. The catering industry saw approximately 632 million yuan ($87.4 million) in turnover, an eight-percent increase over the same period last year.

During the May Day holiday, Xiamen boosted its "holiday economy" with diverse promotional campaigns across major commercial districts, including consumption subsidies and festive experiences. For instance, China City launched the "May Day Urban Players Festival", while Zhongshan Road hosted public stage performances.

Around the holiday period, the opening of Xiamen's first retail stores and exhibitions —such as Fujian's first LONGCHAMP boutique and woodbuddy's first South China store — injected fresh energy into the market, drawing crowds of young consumers eager to check in and share their experiences.

During the holiday period, Xiamen's "Amoy Brand" premium export products saw increased popularity. Under the guidance of the Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Commerce, over 40 leading retailers including JD.com, Tmall, and Taobao partnered with export enterprises, channeling more high-quality export goods to domestic consumers through initiatives like "global shopping at your doorstep" to boost consumption.