Prices on all items sold at the Beijing Capital International
Airport will be cut by 25 percent to 30 percent on average by the
end of this month, said a manager of the airport trading
company.
The goal is to bring prices at the facility in line with those
charged by downtown retail outlets.
Beijing Capital Airport Trading Development Co. Ltd. drew up
plans in August to reduce the prices of 8,600 items sold at the two
terminals (T1 and T2) to levels comparable with downtown department
stores or supermarkets. Since Sept. 16, the company has cut the
prices of more than 100 items, including imported and domestic
liquor, tobacco products, clothes, toys and cosmetics, said a
purchasing manager surnamed Huang
Most prices were cut by up to 40 percent. A bottle of green tea
sells at 3.5 yuan (about 0.5 U.S. dollars) now, almost the same as
in downtown shops. A packed roast duck is 70 yuan, compared with 98
yuan in the past.
"We found the number of customers has increased by six percent
since the price cuts and they thought the purchases were worth the
money," Huang said, citing customer surveys.
Company president Zhang Kunlan said price-cutting would continue
for the remainder of the year, by which time all prices should be
about the same as in downtown retail outlets.
Prices in the No. 3 terminal (T3) would also be monitored when
that part of the airport starts operations before the Olympics.
"We will be glad if the consumers' association and press can
keep watch on the prices," Zhang said.
High food prices at the airport have drawn passenger complaints.
A campaign to lower food prices at the airport began back in
November 2005, covering 852 items or half the food products sold at
the airport. A cup of coffee that sells at 20 yuan now could have
cost 88 yuan before the price-cutting campaign.
(Xinhua News Agency December 12, 2007)
