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Customers can bring their own bottles to purchase refills of cleaning products by the kilogram at the Shanghai Soap Corp store in Yangpu district.[Photo by He Qi/China Daily |
Shops mandating that customers bring their own bottles to purchase refills of detergent, hand sanitizer, fabric softener and other cleaning products by the kilogram have recently grown in popularity among residents in Shanghai.
One such shop in Shanghai's Yangpu district has seen its business pick up over the past months. During its peak hours, customers even have to wait in a line for their refills.
"More customers have come to visit the store in recent months as they are becoming more aware of the importance of environmental protection," says Wang Shihai, the store's manager.
Located on Yangshupu Road, the store belongs to Shanghai Soap Corp, a local enterprise that sells personal and household-cleaning products. The store, which was founded in 1923, was formerly known as the Shanghai Soap Factory.
"Our store has had this business model for over 30 years. What we offer is about 70 percent cheaper than the products in separate packaging sold in supermarkets. The most important thing is that this retail concept is very environmentally friendly," Wang adds.
The customers of the store are mainly middle-aged and elderly people. Most live nearby. Some even travel across the city just to buy products from the store.
Wang says he once met an elderly woman living in Baoshan district who would travel for about an hour just to buy goods at the store.
"She says the store has the smell of her childhood," Wang says.
"Generally, young consumers have less time to spare and are more accustomed to shopping online so we hardly saw them in the shop previously. However, an increasing number of our customers today are young people who are conscious about saving the environment."
Despite being in business for decades, Wang claims that shops like his are a dying breed.
"Although our prices have increased in recent years because of the high cost of raw materials, our revenue is much less than before," he says.
"In fact, this business is very unprofitable. But we believe that, as a State-owned enterprise, we should have a sense of social responsibility, including environmental protection. Also, there are many people today who appreciate our retail format and products so we can't suddenly shut down this business."
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The 15th Chinese Film Festival in Bangkok and the 2020 China-Thailand Film Exchange Week opens at the China Cultural Center in Bangkok on Oct 25, 2020. [Photo provided to Chinaculture.org] |
On Oct 25, the opening ceremony of the 15th Chinese Film Festival in Bangkok and the 2020 China-Thailand Film Exchange Week was held at the China Cultural Center in Bangkok. The event was hosted by the China Cultural Center in Bangkok and received strong support from the Chinese Embassy in Thailand and the Thai Ministry of Culture.
The COVID-19 pandemic doesn't impede the enthusiasm for cultural exchange between China and Thailand. This film festival uses live broadcast to present the opening ceremony and host the "China-Thailand Film Exchange and Cooperation Online Seminar". During the film festival, audiences can use the online platform of the China Cultural Center in Bangkok to watch films online, which greatly increases the global reach of the festival.
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Gu Hongxing, director of the China Cultural Center in Bangkok and China Tourism Office in Bangkok, speaks at the opening ceremony. [Photo provided to Chinaculture.org] |
Gu Hongxing, director of Bangkok's China Cultural Center and China Tourism Office, said film can not only introduce one's national culture, but also reflect unique social landscapes. Film has become an important part of cultural exchange between countries and enhance mutual understanding among people around the world.
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Yang Xin, Chargé d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand, speaks at the opening ceremony. [Photo provided to Chinaculture.org] |
Yang Xin, Chargé d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand, said since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand 45 years ago, the mutual trust between the two countries has continued to deepen, economic and trade cooperation has expanded, cultural exchanges have become closer, and all-around cooperation has achieved fruitful results. Both China and Thailand have a vast film market. As a traditional project of cultural exchanges between China and Thailand, the Bangkok Chinese Film Festival has laid a solid foundation for film cooperation between the two countries for 15 years and will add new drive to the promotion of cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and Thailand.
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Itthiphol Kunplome, Thailand's minister of culture, speaks at the opening ceremony. [Photo provided to Chinaculture.org] |
Thailand's Minister of Culture Itthiphol Kunplome said in his speech the governments and people of Thailand and China have been in constant exchange. Cooperation in various fields has developed steadily, and the film festival is another important event to further promote cultural exchanges between the two countries. The people of the two countries can promote their understanding of the cultures of both sides through films, and promote friendly relations and cooperation in other perspectives.
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