People from points south flocked there to do business, making it second only to P'ingtung itself as a commercial center. The town became the central market for farmers to sell their red beans, betel nuts, coconuts, and other local specialities, from where they were sold wholesale to other markets.
由於交通便利，潮州與鄰近地方往來頻繁，潮州以南各地的鄉民也跑到此地來從事交易活動，日積月累，潮州於是成為縣內僅次於屏東市的第二大集散中心。舉凡各項南部「特產」，包括紅豆、檳榔、椰子等的大盤商，都在此地麇集，再批發至外地。