Biz Scene: BIZ UNUSUAL

Two for joy

A chopstick store in Chongqing is selling a pair of probably the longest chopsticks in the world. Weighing 20 kg, the chopsticks are 2.3 meters long and 8 cm in diameter. They are inscribed with six Chinese characters that say: "sharing happiness and bitterness together, and overcoming difficulties by joint efforts". The store said it symbolizes inseparability of couples. Like chopsticks.

Joint account

A State-owned bank's branch in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province, has introduced a new type of bank account that allows couples to share it, with each holding one bankcard. Lu, an IT professional educated in Britain, said he and his wife have a common bank account in Britain and that the service is very convenient for couples.

Rich binge

A department store in Fuzhou, capital of East China's Fujian Province, recently shut down its regular operation to hold a special sales event only for its VIP customers. The event turned out to be a smashing hit as the store notched up more than 10 million yuan in sales volume within nine hours, amounting to 6 percent of its average annual revenue. It received 16,000 customers, and one-third of their purchases were luxurious goods. A high-end watch with a price tag of 400,000 yuan was among the items sold.

(China Daily 11/21/2007 page15)