IN mid-July, hotel worker Bob Ji got an unusual request: he and his colleagues were to take shifts manning a beer and snack stall in a public square near a five-star establishment in Beijing’s financial district.

His assignment was part of a push by the local government to help invigorate the night economy in a part of the city usually abandoned after the work day ends. Judging by the empty tables at 8 p.m. on a recent Tuesday evening, the district’s campaign isn’t taking off.

The lackluster results for the pop-up bar — meant to mimic the bustling street vendors that have been regulated out of existence over the years — underscores the difficulties in boosting consumption.

Retail sales are growing faster than the overall economy and private spending is becoming a larger part of GDP, but a collapse in car sales is one sign that people are unwilling to dramatically boost spending, especially with food prices rising quickly.

“The night-time economy is a catchy concept and it might give consumption a short-term shot in the arm, especially as the government is putting its weight behind the initiative,” said Diana Choyleva, chief economist at London-based Enodo Economics.

“But it’s not going to have any long-term meaningful impact,” she said, noting that the main impediment to higher spending is a lack of income.

It may be too early to judge: Beijing is known to have a less active nightlife than other cities, so the campaign may have a higher chance of success elsewhere.

Chengdu, a city in the country’s southwest, brought in travel journalists and bloggers last week to experience the city’s tourist attractions, including boating on the Jinjiang River and feasting on spicy Sichuan cuisine in the Taikoo Li shopping district. For its own residents, the city is extending opening hours for zoos, circuses, galleries, and beauty parlors.

Policies to stimulate night-time business in other urban areas — such as Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing and Chengdu — include extending hours for public transport, parks, museums, and shopping malls. Officials have also been appointed to oversee activities after dark, mirroring practices in Western metropolises like London or New York.

A survey conducted last month by recruiting website Zhaopin.com and food delivery company Meituan Dianping showed that southern cities slightly outperform northern peers in terms of night-time consumption. But overall, the potential to create a lively night economy is limited. Almost three quarters of respondents said they spend less than 200 yuan (US$28) in the evenings.

“Consumption is unlike infrastructure investment, from which the stimulus effect could materialize very quickly,” said Fan Ruoying, a researcher at Bank of China’s research institute in Beijing. Policies including tax cuts on individual income should mean that “slowly consumption will be able to gain from those measures.”(SD-Agencies)