Hubei’s economic recovery picked up steam in the first three quarters as activities normalized amid effective control of the COVID-19 pandemic and the local government's sweeping efforts to stimulate demand and consumption.

  In the first three quarters, Hubei achieved a total retail sales of consumer goods of 1,180.061 billion yuan, rebounding form a 6.7-percent decline in the first half of 2020.

  During the period of COVID-19 prevention and control, new business forms have led to accelerate the expansion of consumption, while online consumption also surged.

  From January to September, Hubei's enterprises (units) above designated size realized retail sales of 68.592 billion yuan, narrowing from a 7.8-percent decline in the first half year. Among them, the retail sales amounted to 9.02 billion yuan in September, a year-on-year increase of 20 percent.

  Livestreaming e-commerce was also considered as a new engine of consumption. From March, more than 250 e-commerce livestreams were conducted in the province, with total sales exceeding 2.5 billion yuan, data from the Department of Commerce of Hubei Province showed.

  Source: en.hubei.gov.cn