Ministry of Commerce: From January to July, the total retail sales of consumer goods and services increased by 2.6% year-on-year, while the total retail sales of consumer goods increased by 1.2%.

On August 20, the head of the Consumption Promotion Department of the Ministry of Commerce discussed the state of Chinas consumer market in July 2026. According to the reports, from January to July, the total retail sales of consumer goods and services increased by 2.6% year-on-year; the total retail sales of consumer goods reached 28.77 trillion yuan, growing by 1.2%, with retail sales of consumer goods excluding automobiles increasing by 2.7%. In July, retail sales of goods grew by 0.5%. Basic necessities showed steady growth, with retail sales of grains, oils, food, beverages, and daily necessities for above-designated-size enterprises rising by 5.3%, 3.5%, and 1.8%, respectively. Some upgraded products saw rapid growth, with retail sales for telecommunications equipment, cultural and office supplies, and cosmetics all increasing by 20.4%, 7.4%, and 6.8%, respectively. First, the quality of goods consumption has improved and upgraded. In July, retail sales of goods increased by 0.5%. Basic necessities grew steadily, with retail sales of grains, oils, food, beverages, and daily necessities for above-designated-size enterprises rising by 5.3%, 3.5%, and 1.8%, respectively. Some upgraded products saw faster growth, with retail sales for telecommunications equipment, cultural and office supplies, and cosmetics increasing by 20.4%, 7.4%, and 6.8%, respectively. Second, there are many highlights in service consumption. The potential for summer service consumption was fully released. From January to July, service retail sales increased by 5.0%, consistently outpacing the growth rate of goods retail sales. Among these, the catering revenue grew by 2.6%; retail sales for travel consulting and rental services, as well as cultural and recreational services, both increased by over 10%. The summer film season was very popular, with total box office revenue for movies in July exceeding 5 billion yuan, growing by over 20%. Third, new forms of consumption are thriving. The exchange of old products for new ones is driving growth in green and smart consumption. In July, the retail penetration rate of new energy passenger vehicles reached 65.1%, setting a new historical high. Data from the Ministry of Commerce show that in July, sales of key platforms for intelligent entities such as Siasun Robot & Automation increased by 95.1%, sales of exoskeleton assistive devices grew by 39.5%, sales of action cameras rose by 24.7%, and sales of Siasun Robot & Automation for sweeping robots grew by 19.4%. Fourth, the urban-rural structure continues to optimize. From January to July, the retail sales of consumer goods in rural areas reached 3.8 trillion yuan, up by 2.4%, with a growth rate 1.3 percentage points faster than that of urban areas. The driving force of consumption in county markets continues to strengthen, with the retail sales of consumer goods in counties and rural areas, including towns and villages, accounting for 39.1% of the total retail sales of consumer goods, an increase of 0.3 percentage points compared to the same period last year. This article is selected from the website of the "Ministry of Commerce," edited by GMTEight: Chen Siyu.