The Economic and Technological Development Bureau (DSEDT) said in a statement on Friday that its 13-week-long consumption reward programme, called “National Games Cohesion – Community Consumption Grand Prix”, had achieved good results.
According to the statement, the event attracted around 20,000 participating businesses. During the period, a total of 462 million patacas in e-vouchers was issued, with a total redemption value of 408 million patacas, stimulating around 1.645 billion patacas in consumer spending, the statement said.
The amount redeemed through “Senior Citizen Cards” and “Social Care Cards” reached 57.66 million patacas in total, generating about 117 million patacas in associated consumer spending.
The statement also said that according to the findings of a survey conducted by a third party, the initiative has effectively encouraged residents to increase both the frequency and amount of their consumer spending in Macau, demonstrating that the campaign has achieved its intended results in stimulating local consumption.
The Post talked to several residents and shop owners about the scheme yesterday.
“Kun Che”, a Western pharmacy proprietor, told the Post she believed that the programme generated tangible benefits for local businesses, noting its effectiveness in altering residents’ shopping habits. She also said that the “use-it-or-lose-it” psychology associated with the vouchers had encouraged consumers to purchase daily necessities in Macau, thereby stimulating ancillary sales. The initiative has even drawn Macau residents residing in the Chinese mainland to return home specifically for consumer spending, she said.
Conversely, the owner of a grocery in the northern district, who preferred not to be named, told the Post that while acknowledging the programme’s effectiveness, he also expressed scepticism that incentives focused solely on binding consumption to the local market could fundamentally redirect residents’ strong preference for shopping across the border. He suggested the need for future programmes to be more effective in attracting spending by tourists from the Chinese mainland. He also suggested that in the future the programme’s timing - such as scheduling it before the Lunar New Year - should better align with residents’ practical needs for holiday purchases.
Ping, her nickname, a senior resident talked to the Post at the S. Domingos wet market in the city centre she hopes that the government will continue the incentive. Ping said she believes that it provides practical support in stimulating consumption and benefiting people’s livelihoods under the current economic condition, as she frequently used the vouchers for daily expenses such as groceries. She suggested that any future continuation of the scheme should be launched before the upcoming Lunar New Year to facilitate holiday shopping.
The Chinese New Year of the Horse falls on February 17 next year.
A clerical worker surnamed Lei told the Post that the programme’s design had been beset with certain inconveniences, such as that some of the incentives seemed to encourage non-essential spending. Furthermore, he highlighted that the last phase of the programme did not include fuel expenses in the lucky draw categories, which was “inconvenient” for frequent drivers.
This poster provided by the Economic and Technological Development Bureau (DSEDT) on Friday shows its “National Games Cohesion – Community Consumption Grand Prix” consumption reward programme which concluded on November 30.
