Shanghai recorded 79.6 billion yuan (about $11.17 billion) in total online and offline consumption payments during the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday from Oct 1 to 8, marking a 3 percent year-on-year increase.

Major shopping areas see double-digit growth

Shopping areas across the city experienced robust growth, with total sales in major ones up 10.2 percent year-on-year. Among them:

- East Nanjing Road rose 23.2 percent

- West Nanjing Road increased 22.7 percent

- Zhongshan Park surged 29.4 percent

Night economy thrives during the holiday

Nighttime consumption also saw a remarkable boost. Spending at Shanghai's five key night economy landmarks climbed 15.3 percent year-on-year and 31.8 percent compared with the week before the holiday.

The Gate M West Bund Dream Center and the Wujiang Road–Feng Sheng Li area recorded impressive increases of 111.9 percent and 28.0 percent, respectively.

Meanwhile, five of the city's favorite nightlife destinations reported a 19 percent rise from the previous week, with Columbia Circle and Jing'an Joy City's rooftop dining area on the ninth floor of the North Building leading the growth at 104.1 percent and 35.4 percent, respectively.

Rising spending by overseas visitors

Overseas visitors were also highly active during the holiday. The number of departure tax refund transactions increased sixfold year-on-year, while total sales volume rose 7.2 percent.

Popular tax-refunded purchases included sportswear, electronics, and international brands.

Mobile platform simplifies tax refund process

To further enhance convenience, Shanghai has recently launched a mobile platform for departure tax refunds, currently in pilot at selected stores across Pudong New Area, Huangpu, and Jing'an districts.

The platform is accessible by scanning a QR code at tax refund counters or by visiting

https://taxrefund.sheca.com/login

Scan the QR code to visit the mobile platform

Overseas visitors can register easily with their mobile number or email address and track their refund progress in real time.

The platform supports Chinese, English, Japanese, and Korean.

Two refund options

1. Standard departure tax refund

Visitors can apply online after customs verification of their Tax Refund Application Form for Overseas Visitors. Once the digital receipt is signed, refunds are credited promptly via bank transfer or Alipay.

2. Refund-upon-purchase service

Visitors using a credit card that supports pre-authorization can receive instant electronic refunds, such as through Alipay, immediately after purchase.

No paper documents are needed during customs verification; visitors simply show their tax refund code to complete the process.

Sources: Shanghai Observer, Shanghai Municipal Tax Service of the State Taxation Administration