‘Downgrading consumption’
“I feel the general economy hasn’t been great this year and people are avoiding buying things that aren’t absolutely necessary,” Shi said.
“Before, if you liked something, you’d buy it without much thought… but now, there’s a real sense of downgrading consumption.”
China’s leaders have fought to overcome sluggish domestic spending, a protracted crisis in the property sector and a trade war with the United States.
The Communist Party’s top brass vowed to “vigorously boost consumption” after a key planning meeting in Beijing last month.
Consumer prices have been stagnant or in decline in recent months, although they rose in October after a weeklong national holiday boosted demand for travel and food.
Zhu, a 30-year-old Shanghai resident who declined to give his full name, said his mother had taken advantage of November sales to stock up on household products such as laundry detergent and toilet paper.
However, outside daily necessities, Zhu said he mostly shopped second-hand instead of buying new versions of the tools and books he needed for his calligraphy hobby.
“We’re pretty practical — if I need something I will buy it but if I don’t need it, I just won’t get it no matter how cheap it is,” he told AFP.