China retail sales up 1.9% YoY in Jan-Apr 2026

China's total retail sales of consumer goods reached 16.5 trillion yuan in the first four months of 2026, up 1.9% year-on-year, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The market scale expanded by over 300 billion yuan compared with the same period last year. Excluding automobiles, retail sales grew 3.1% year-on-year.

Service-related retail sales accelerated their growth pace. During the Qingming Festival holiday, domestic tourist trips rose 6.8% year-on-year. Digital consumption scenarios expanded, with communication and information service retail maintaining double-digit growth.

Rural market growth outpaced urban areas. Rural retail sales increased 2.8% year-on-year, 1 percentage point faster than urban. County and township retail sales accounted for 39.7% of total retail sales, up 0.3 percentage point from a year earlier.

Online consumption continued to thrive. Online retail sales of goods and services grew 6.6% year-on-year, with online service retail up 8.3% and online goods retail up 5.7%. Instant retail transaction value surged 29.2% year-on-year. Online goods retail accounted for 28.2% of total goods retail, up 0.2 percentage point from Q1.

Among physical retailers, warehouse membership stores and unmanned stores saw sales growth exceeding 20%. Convenience stores and supermarkets grew 7.5% and 4.5% respectively.

Basic living goods performed well. Retail sales of food (up 9.7%), clothing (up 8.1%), and daily necessities (up 5.4%) by units above designated size all maintained rapid growth. Among food categories, grain, oil and food up 8.6%, beverages up 6.0%, and tobacco and liquor up 15.2%.

Upgraded goods also grew strongly: communication equipment +17.7%, cosmetics +5.6%, and cultural & office supplies +5.3%. Wearable smart devices and high-efficiency home appliances both recorded double-digit growth.

Overall, consumer market growth remained stable in early 2026, but internal momentum still needs strengthening. The government will continue to implement consumption stimulation policies, improve long-term mechanisms, and boost residents' consumption capacity and willingness.

Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China. Original: https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/sjjd/202605/t20260518_1963734.html