A game-streaming hostess promotes rice wine during a livestreaming sales event. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

In the first quarter of 2020, total retail sales of consumer goods in Huzhou showed a year-on-year decrease of 10.5 percent, 4.2 percentage points lower than Zhejiang's average. It saw the smallest such decline in the province, local media reported on April 21.

According to statistics from the commerce department, automobile 4S stores, oil consumption, and lifestyle supermarkets have seen a healthy recovery.

Sales at shopping malls are also showing signs of stabilization. Falls in consumption in the professional market and among accommodation and catering companies has slowed and the industry is gradually returning to normal.

Local authorities plan to use this opportunity to stimulate online consumption by holding events such as livestreams by online celebrities.