Although Guangdong and Shangdong has one of the
highest retail sales of 1060 billion RMB and 844
billion RMB respectively, Beijing and Shanghai have
one of the highest retail sales per person (23 and
21 thousands RMB per person respectively). Retail
sales per person would be a better measure as it
takes into account the population of each province.
Beijing is the national capital and is classified as
the economic heart of the region. Being China's
political centre and having well-developed
infrastructures, Beijing is often considered the
priority for foreign companies establishing in
China. On the other hand, Shanghai is the largest
industrial base and port in China. Mainly these
economical and geographical factors lead to Beijing
and Shanghai having the highest retail sales per
person in China. Other provinces’ growth rate
would be expected to grow rapidly at a pace faster
than more developed cities such as Beijing and
Shanghai in years to come. This is due to the hasten
development of rural consumer goods market. This
growth is supported by the steady rise of disposable
income (approximately ten percent annually) in these
less developed markets. This trend signifies
tremendous opportunities for suppliers, retailers
and entrepreneurs, who intend to tap on this market.
