Hai'an, a county-level city in Nantong, saw nearly 32 million yuan ($4.52 million) in retails sales at six major shopping malls throughout the May Day holiday, up 10.18 percent year on year, according to data from Hai'an's bureau of commerce.

A series of promotional activities were held in the city throughout the May Day holiday in an effort to boost its economic recovery. Coupons given out by local shopping malls and stores also helped attract consumers.

The coupons were well-received by the public and encouraged them to leave their homes during the holiday.

"From May 1 to 5, our supermarket made 5 million yuan in retail sales, an increase of 103 percent year on year. Promotional activities and coupons have greatly helped stimulate consumption," said Xue Jun, a branch manager at Suguo supermarket.

A total of 15,000 coupons worth 2 million yuan were given out in total and 16 famous brands organized promotional activities in the county-level city during the holiday. In addition, coupons for hotels and catering are expected to be offered in the near future.