China’s central bank is pouring cash into the financial system to make sure the ATM machines don’t run dry during the early February Lunar New Year holiday.

That’s left retailers hoping that consumers will bust out their bank cards and spend away in spite of the darkening economic clouds on the horizon.

“We hope sales will be better this Lunar New Year,” said a marketing official with Fun² Shopping Mall in the southern city of Shenzhen who gave her surname as Chen. “But we suspect they’ll be pretty much the same as last year.”

In a bid to boost sales of clothing, shoes and food items, the 90-store Fun² mall operated by state-owned China Resources (Group) Ltd. is offering discounts and reducing the minimum amount that customers must spend for a free gift to 100 yuan ($15.20) from last year’s 188 yuan. The group declined to give its sales target.