Tianhe district will build itself into the core area of an international consumer center, as well as further develop the Tianhe Road Business Circle-Zhujiang New Town business circle into a national leading one.

These goals were put forward in the government work report that was released at the second session of the 10th Tianhe District People's Congress, which concluded on Jan 22.

The report proposed that the district should speed up the construction of the pedestrian tunnel that will link Tianhe Road and Tiyu East Road, as well as deepen the integrated development of the retail, catering, accommodation, entertainment, culture, and sports sectors in business circles.

Through traditional festivals and the Guangzhou International Shopping Festival, Tianhe should carry out diversified consumption promotion activities, promoting the traffic layout and the enrichment of business forms in the business circles.

The report also put forward promoting the development of 'new retail' department stores, vehicle sales, e-commerce, and brand chains, as well as the introduction and cultivation of leading commodity trading enterprises. The traditional wholesale markets and retail formats in Tianhe's Gangding and Shahe areas will also be innovated and transformed.

The "first stores" economy has become a new index that reflects a region's economic activity. By 2021, the Tianhe Road Business Circle has introduced 235 "first stores".

The report emphasized that the "first stores" economy should also be bolstered in Tianhe, along with the brand economy, the nighttime economy, the live streaming economy, and the duty-free economy.

It is expected that more than 40 "first stores" in Guangzhou will be introduced in the district.