North China’s largest clothing wholesale market is to be relocated out of the Chinese capital. The Beijing Zoo wholesale market is in a northwest central area of the capital, and it’s thousands of vendors serve tens of thousands of bargain-hungry shoppers every day.

But its popularity is a source of ever-increasing logistical problems for Beijing authorities, with regular traffic jams and poor sanitation being two of the main issues. Soon, it will move out of downtown, as part of an overall plan to address urban congestion and ease the strain on the city’s resources.

Beijing zoo wholesale market offers fashion on a budget. Thousands come here every day and return fully loaded. But it lies at a major traffic hub. So, amid the rush for bargains, there’s always traffic congestion and a big strain on public transport.

The market is set to be moved out of town but for now, business goes on. And not everyone’s happy about the decision.

"We heard about the relocation, but we weren’t informed of a deadline. We don’t want to leave here." Zhang Xiaozhe, Store Owner said.

Zhang Xiaozhe has been doing business here for five years. His goods get sold as far as northeast China.

He says the location is convenient and market systems are well established. But now, like thousands of vendors, he has only one option: to move out.

Vendors said they were informed of market would be closing one month ago, but didn’t know where to relocate to. Most of them are reluctant to leave the market, and are worried about losing customers."

"It’s taken us several years to build up a customer base here. We’ll lose a lot of that if we go to a new place." a vendor said.

But the government is determined to push ahead.

There are over 13 thousand booths here. They’re visited by over 100 thousand people every day.

The government says poor sanitation and traffic congestion costs over a billion yuan per year.

On Thursday, Beijing’s Xicheng district, where the market is located, signed a framework agreement to strengthen cooperation with Langfang City in Heibei province.

It’s part of a grand vision to optimize the industrial layout of the area immediately surrounding and including the Chinese capital.

"The plan is to integrate and coordinate the development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province. This will help to address sanitation, security and traffic problems. But the relocation will drive up the cost of living for local residents and dampen employment. Therefore we need to carefully execute an overall coordinated plan." Chen Jiapeng, Director of Research China Polulation and Dev't Research Center said.

The Zoo wholesale market is one of a dozen in the capital that will be relocated soon.

With the jobs of thousands on the line, it will be a no less daunting task for the government as for the vendors.