Consumption in China is showing strong signs of revitalisation against the backdrop of the epidemic, with the potential for catering businesses, retail and e-commerce industry being further tapped.

A woman selects commodities in a market in Zhengding county in Hebei province. (People's Daily/Shi Zhiqiang)

Car-hailing services have become increasingly popular, now that many business districts have resumed operation.

Data from Didi Chuxing, an online car-hailing platform, suggests that on weekends in March, the number of car-hailing orders to and from the Sanlitun business area in Beijing’s Chaoyang District increased by 258 percent compared with that in February.

Customer volumes in clothing stores, milk tea shops and appliance stores have basically returned to normal in the area.

Catering businesses have also received a boost, as Beijing is now allowing its citizens to eat at restaurants with certain protective measures, including checking customers’ health codes, taking their temperatures and disinfection.

There has also been growth in the e-commerce industry. During a promotion on March 8 of online marketplace Tmall, over 20,000 brands saw a year-on-year increase of over 100 percent in their sales.

The catering business, retail and e-commerce industry are believed to be the first to rebound against the impact of the pneumonia outbreak, according to Zhao Ping, director of the international trade research department at the Academy of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

Zhao explained that with companies resuming work and production, previously restrained demand for food will be stimulated, giving a boost to the catering industry. The retail business will be given new energy as shopping malls reopen, while the e-commerce industry has shown potential amid the epidemic and still has room for growth, Zhao noted.