Nanjing Rd shops set standards

By Lu Feiran  |   2008-6-19  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

NANJING Road is going to implement strict new standards for service in shops as well as restaurants and hotels over the next three years.

The Shanghai Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision will trial new service regulations along the road, setting standards for the quality of service and the environment in shops, restaurants and hotels, officials said.

The bureau's Jing'an District branch said at present restaurants and hotels were much better than shops along the road.

"Restaurants and hotels have their own industrial standards but markets and department shops don't," said Cao Yue, an official with the bureau. "For example, signs in markets are often confusing and cause inconvenience."

Ten companies with shops on the road, including the Tomorrow Square, Shanghai Fashion Co Ltd and Shanghai JC Mandarin, signed an agreement yesterday, promising to abide by the new regulations. They will try to help set the standards or implement their own standards which will be higher than the proposed regulations.

Jing'an and Huangpu districts, where the road is located, will also develop the "time-honored" brands and shops along the road, officials said yesterday.

The two districts will give prizes to "time-honored" companies of between 50,000 yuan (US$7,412) and 1 million yuan every year, officials said.