E-commerce business surges in Xiamen

The e-commerce market of the coastal city of Xiamen sustained rapid growth last year, with retail sales surpassing 180 billion yuan ($27.77 billion), growing 30 percent year-on-year, according to statistics from the city's commerce bureau.

The city attracted 65 e-commerce enterprises in 2020, each with a sales revenue of over 100 million yuan, 14 more than in 2019.

Three enterprises - Anta Group, a Chinese sportswear company, Meiyou, an online platform offering services for women, and Sungiven Foods - were included on the national list of digital business enterprises.

The city's e-commerce enterprises also reported strong performance in online sales during the Double 11 shopping spree, and their total combined merchandise was valued at 3.59 billion yuan at midnight on Nov 11, ranking third in Fujian province.

As a result of innovative online channels and an accelerated shift toward online consumption amid the COVID-19 pandemic last year, e-commerce via livestreaming has gained popularity in Xiamen. Statistics show that a total of 233,000 such activities were held last year, receiving around 920 million views.

An array of supporting measures were rolled out last year to accelerate the high-quality development of the e-commerce sector and create new opportunities for local e-commerce enterprises. These measures have benefited 92 enterprises and set aside more than 37 million yuan to develop the e-commerce industry.