The ninth 2020 Guangzhou International Shopping Festival will take place from Dec 23 to Jan 22, 2021, said Lin Guoqiang, deputy director of Guangzhou municipal commerce bureau, on Dec 17.

The main venue of the festival will be set up in the business area around Tianhe Road, while sub-venues will be set up in major business circles in all districts around Guangzhou, with a variety of distinctive activities organized featuring themes spanning shopping, customized consumption, digital consumption, as well as the integration of business, tourism, and culture.

A report on Guangzhou's consumption will be released on Dec 23 during the opening ceremony of the festival. The report, which utilizes big data and cloud computing technologies, will cover content including an urban development index, nighttime economy development, as well as the driving effect caused by digital economy on consumption and employment.

A business association integrating 5G and digital technology will be set up during the event. Wei Li, deputy general manager of the Guangzhou branch of China Mobile, noted that the association can not only provide communication opportunities for companies managing traditional businesses and information to promote the digital transformation of traditional businesses, but will also establish a commercial big data platform to support the sound development of local digital economy.

"We will build an indoor navigation system based on 5G technology for shopping malls, offer applications like smart entrance control and smart parking for property management departments, as well as provide services, such as virtual experience for stores, to realize more efficient shopping experiences," added Wei.