Staff move it up, preparing drinks at an outlet in Shanghai. [Photo by Gao Erqiang/China Daily]

Consumer spending in Shanghai city in East China has experienced a rebound in the current year – with revenue from the catering industry and retail industry exceeding the level for the same period in 2019, according to statistics recently released by the Shanghai Municipal Tax Service of the State Taxation Administration.

Value-added tax invoice data showed that during the May Day holiday on May 1-5, Shanghai's catering services revenue increased 48.7 percent year-on-year, with a two-year average growth of 43.7 percent.

Located in Yuyuan Garden, Lu Bo Lang – a leading traditional restaurant in Shanghai – proved to be the hot choice for dining during the break, with its sales surging 1.73 million yuan ($267,993), 236 percent up on the same period last year.

Beverages such as coffee and milk tea were also in popular demand with tourists in Shanghai for the break.

Tim Hortons, an international coffee chain brand, opened its first China store in Shanghai in 2019 and has since opened nearly 60 outlets in the city. "We get loads of customers these days. Freshly ground coffee sells particularly well," said Lu Yongchen, head of finance for Tim Hortons in China.

"The daily sales of flat white coffee have even broken a record," Lu added.

Retail spending in Shanghai also took off during the break.

The city's total retail sales rose 20.4 percent year-on-year during the May Day holiday, with a two-year average growth of 10.9 percent, according to value-added tax invoice data.

The Bailian Outlets Plaza in Shanghai's Qingpu district, which organized eye-catching promotional discounts, saw its holiday sales top 160 million yuan, an increase of 10 percent compared with the same period last year. The single day sales on May 2 was the highest, reaching 37 million yuan.