SHANGHAI -- Shopping malls and stores in China have quickly reopened as the government promotes a return to business as usual, only to see consumers stay home and keep their purse strings tight or shop online.
Customer traffic is "less than half of usual levels," said a worker at a Walmart store in a Shanghai suburb late last month. Shelves in the vegetable and meat departments were well-stocked, but few shoppers passed through the aisles during the normally busy late-afternoon hours. Even with its online delivery service, "sales are not growing at all," the source said.
