According to statistics from China's Ministry of Commerce, China's retail sales hit CNY340 billion during the "golden week" of Spring Festival 2010, which was an increase of 17.2% over those of the same period in 2009.

Liu Zejun, the director of the Beijing Aiguo Weisheng Commission, has disclosed to the media that Beijing will work out measures on the revision of the No Smoking Rule in 2010, after an evaluation is made before the end of 2009 on the results of the current smoking ban in the city.

News from the Press Office of China's Ministry of Commerce is that from January 25 to February 31, 2009, which was the Spring Festival holiday week in China, and despite the economic slowdown, the country's total retail sales reached CNY290 billion, a year-on-year increase of 13.8%.

In accordance with China's Administrative Measures for Tobacco Monopoly Licenses, foreign retailers — including Carrefour and Metro — have stopped selling tobacco products in their Chinese outlets from the beginning of 2009.

According to Fu Mengxi, vice president for Wal-Mart (China) Investment Co., Ltd., the company will open a new Sam's Club in Pudong, Shanghai in 2009.

According to the Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department, the total retail sales in Hong Kong increased by 10.4% to HKD22.8 billion in August and the total retail sales value and the total retail sales volume in the first eight months of 2008 increased by 15% and 8.3% respectively.