With the lifting of the two-month lockdown, Wuhan’s local government is embarking on ‘digital coupons campaign’ collaborating with WeChat Pay, offering virtual vouchers through WeChat mini-programs to stimulate the individual spending and to quench their pent-up consumption demands. Coupons are to be released in three batches, worth RMB 2.3 billion in total, are contributed by both the authorities (RMB 500 million) as well as private merchants and vendors (RMB 1.8 billion). Qingdao, the capital of Shangdong province was the first city that tried out the stimuli, followed by several key regions across the country launching similar activities inspired by a preceding favourable incentive outcome.
