Consumption has played a leading role in powering the economic development in many cities. Dezhou, a city in East China's Shandong province, has made great efforts to boost local consumption to promote high-quality development, local officials said.

In the first quarter, total retail sales of social goods in the city reached 32.85 billion yuan ($4.74 billion), an increase of 6.7 percent, putting Dezhou in eighth place in the province, according to statistics from the city's commerce bureau.

Dezhou city, East China's Shandong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The robust development of local consumption has come through a series of supporting policies by local authorities. Since 2023, the city has issued measures on promoting the recovery of consumption, including offering vouchers for household appliances.

Seasonal and monthly consumption activities have been held to create hotspots and unleash consumption potential, including delicacy fairs, New Year's shopping festivals and auto exhibitions.

Debai Ole Plaza is a popular site for locals to enjoy leisure, entertainment and shopping. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

In addition, the city has been developing new forms of consumption. E-commerce has been boosted, including live-streaming sales and warehouse logistics. From January to March, the city's online retail sales reached 3.96 billion yuan, an increase of 29.2 percent year-on-year, ranking fourth in the province.

A block-style shopping center developed by Dezhou-based Debai Group, a leading commercial trade company in northern China, opened in 2020 and has provided a popular site for locals to enjoy leisure, entertainment and shopping.