Taiyuan has been included in the Ministry of Commerce's first batch of national pilot cities for retail innovation and enhancement, making it the only selected city from North China's Shanxi province.

The Ministry of Commerce, along with six other departments, jointly issued the "Implementation Plan for the Retail Innovation and Enhancement Project" in December 2024. The plan outlines key tasks in five areas: scenario-based transformation, quality supply, digital empowerment, diversified innovation, and supply chain enhancement.

Following the requirements for pilot cities, the Ministry of Commerce, in collaboration with relevant departments, organized experts to select the final 38 pilot cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. The pilot period will last for two years.

From 2025 to 2029, the Ministry of Commerce will annually announce new batches of pilot cities, promote pilot experiences, explore the formation of a long-term mechanism for retail innovation and enhancement, and encourage regions to conduct provincial-level pilot work.

In recent years, Taiyuan has developed its elderly economy, ice and snow economy, and sports economy. The city has also worked to protect and pass on its unique "Chinese time-honored brands", while establishing high-quality consumption landmarks to meet diverse consumption needs. Data shows that in the first quarter of this year, Taiyuan's retail sales of consumer goods reached 59.2 billion yuan ($8.2 billion), a year-on-year increase of 5.4 percent, 0.8 percentage points higher than the national average.