Beijing residents enter the 'coupon era'

Machines that look like ATMs quietly appeared in large-scale shopping centers and it was not long before they were surrounded by dense crowds and had queues no shorter than the ones at subway ticket dispensers. Using such machines has become a part of daily lives of Beijing residents. We temporarily call the machines discount machines, and they have led to Beijing residents entering the "era of coupons."

Using coupons to save money is not new for urban people, but if you still cut coupons from newspapers advertisements or download discount coupons from the Internet and carefully put them in your pockets, you are a little behind the times.

Currently, the discount machines in many major shopping malls and commercial office buildings in Beijing's business districts, which can directly print discount coupons, have become the choice of young people and allow people to have more choices. The machines can print various discounts, such as coupons for KFC, McDonald's, Yonghe King and choices for airline tickets, cosmetics and Karaoke lounges.

The machines even have vouchers for free food and drink as well as free trials. This new way of consumption has become a new marketing platform, an innovative sales channel for trade companies and has also attracted the curiosity and interest of many consumers.

According to sources, China's GDP reached 25 trillion yuan in 2009 and the total urban consumption nationwide reached 6 trillion yuan, accounting for one-fourth of the national GDP. Meanwhile, the total retail sales of social consumer goods in Beijing exceeded 530 billion yuan, consistently ranking first among the cities in China.

Beijing's food and beverage market reached as high as 50 billion yuan, and this figure is only one industry out of the total of more than 90 sub-industries in the consumption field. This is also why it seemingly only took a few years for the discount machines to spread to every street in Beijing.

By People's Daily Online