CRI听力:Summer Economy Booming

Today is Summer Solstice. With recent rising temperatures, the summer economy has been booming. Restaurants, shopping malls and supermarkets have been targeting potential customers in the evenings.

In the summer, many people dine out in open air. In Beijing, restaurants that provide open air tables have been booming. Operation director of a restaurant, Chen Xiaolei says:

"If the weather is good, almost all seats are occupied. Most customers are attracted by the atmosphere outside, as they can enjoy their meal with the fountain, colorful lighting and music."

Many restaurants say open-air tables bring them double-profits, and the sale of beer has even tripled. Usually restaurants close their doors at nine or ten in the evening, but now 9 p.m. is the start of their peak hours. Many customers love barbecue, snacks and beer, since its cheap.

Guo Xiaodong, general manager of chain restaurant Meizhou Dongpo in Beijing says:

"Generally it only costs 20 to 30 yuan for one customer. They can get what they want as a late meal."

Guo Xiaodong says they are the first chain restaurant in Beijing targeting the late meal market. Since May every year, 55 chain restaurants provided late evening meals from 9 p.m. to 12 p.m. After two year's operation, business is booming. Some chain restaurants delay closing time to two a.m.

"In a restaurant in Yayuncun, sales revenue of late evening meals may reach 10,000 to 20,000. So the late meal market is important."

Apart from restaurants, many retailers are targeting the evening market. IKEA, one of largest home products stores, is one of them. Since March this year, they offer big discount for customers who buy after 8 p.m.

Marketing manager of IKEA Beijing says they've got a 135% increase of customer flow with the late evening discounts.

Some survey shows two groups of people tend to shop in the evenings: first, people who are older than the age of 50 and hope to take a walk after dinner; second, working people who are busy in the daytime. Shopping malls and supermarkets near to their residential community are their favorite places to go in the evenings.

Hou Enlong, general manager of a household appliance retailer says knowing the buying habits of customers in the summer, they target these potential customers with evening discounts. Hou adds that sales volume during 8 to 10 p.m. everyday in summer usually accounts for 10 to 15 percent of the total volume for the day.

For CRI, I am Zhang Wan.