In 2017， the Beijing municipal government stepped up its crackdown on small shops set up in residential buildings by tearing down windows and walls in first-floor homes. Caijing found that many small traders in the retailing and the catering industries are leaving Beijing because the 揻ront door？of their shops is blocked. Those who decide to stay have no choice but to switch to another trade or move to suburban Beijing.

Besides considerations such as building safety and noise pollution， the deeper reason behind the rectification is to ease Beijing抯 population pressure. Beijing plans to crack down on 16，000 such illegal shops this year， which is expected to influence nearly 200，000 people.