According to data released by the Ministry of Commerce on August 20, retail sales of goods increased by 0.5% in July, with steady growth in daily necessities. Sales of grain, oil, food, beverages, and daily necessities at enterprises above a designated size rose by 5.3%, 3.5%, and 1.8%, respectively, reflecting stable consumer demand for essential items.

Officials from the Ministry of Commerce's Consumption Promotion Department noted that China's consumer market has maintained a trend of innovation and quality improvement this year, with steady expansion in market scale and continuous enhancement in development quality. From January to July, total retail sales of consumer goods and services rose by 2.6% year-on-year, while total retail sales of consumer goods reached 28.77 trillion yuan, a growth of 1.2%. Excluding automobiles, retail sales of consumer goods increased by 2.7%.

Quality Upgrades in Goods Consumption

In July, retail sales of goods grew by 0.5%. While basic living necessities maintained stable growth, certain upgraded categories saw rapid expansion. Retail sales of communication equipment, cultural and office supplies, and cosmetics at enterprises above a designated size increased by 20.4%, 7.4%, and 6.8%, respectively, indicating a clear shift toward higher-end consumer preferences.

Vibrant Service Consumption During Summer

Service consumption saw its potential fully unleashed during the summer holiday period. From January to July, retail sales of services grew by 5.0%, consistently outpacing the growth rate of goods retail sales. Catering revenue increased by 2.6%, while retail sales of tourism consulting, rental services, and cultural, sports, and leisure services all grew by more than 10%. The summer movie season was particularly strong, with total box office revenue exceeding 5 billion yuan in July, representing a growth of over 20%.

Rapid Growth in New Consumption Formats

Trade-in programs for consumer goods have driven growth in green and intelligent consumption. In July, the retail penetration rate of new energy passenger vehicles reached 65.1%, setting a new historical high. Ministry of Commerce big data shows that in July, sales of embodied intelligence robots on key platforms surged by 95.1%, while exoskeleton assist devices saw a 39.5% increase. Sports cameras grew by 24.7%, and robot vacuum cleaners rose by 19.4%.

Optimizing Urban-Rural Consumption Structure

From January to July, retail sales of consumer goods in rural areas reached 3.8 trillion yuan, an increase of 2.4%, with a growth rate 1.3 percentage points faster than urban areas. The momentum of county-level consumer markets continues to strengthen. Retail sales in county and township areas, including townships and villages, accounted for 39.1% of total social retail sales of consumer goods, up 0.3 percentage points from the same period last year.