China's online retail sales grow 4.6% in first eight months of 2026
China's national online retail sales of goods and services grew 4.6% year-on-year from January to August 2026, according to the Ministry of Commerce. Goods sales rose 4.3% and services 5.1%, contributing 1.3 percentage points to total social retail sales growth. Digital and health products drove gains, with tourism and lifestyle services surging 23.8% and 15.6%. The Silk Road E-Commerce initiative expanded to 38 partner countries.
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China's E-Commerce Grows 4.6% in Jan-Aug 2026, Driven by Digital and Health Products
On September 20, the Head of the E-Commerce Department at China's Ministry of Commerce reported that from January to August 2026, China's e-commerce sector maintained positive and innovative growth. According to National Bureau of Statistics data, national online retail sales of goods and services grew by 4.6% year-on-year, with goods up 4.3% and services up 5.1%. The Ministry of Commerce estimated that e-commerce contributed 1.3 percentage points to total social retail sales growth. Digital products and health products saw relatively rapid growth; business big data monitoring showed online retail sales of mobile phones and outdoor apparel increased by 6.8% and 6.9%, respectively. Instant retail transaction volumes grew at a double-digit rate. Online retail sales of tourism and lifestyle services on key e-commerce platforms increased by 23.8% and 15.6%, respectively. The report also noted that digital intelligence empowered industrial transformation and that the 'Silk Road E-Commerce' initiative expanded its partner countries, deepening international economic and trade cooperation.
Read sourceChina's E-Commerce Grows 4.6% in Jan-Aug 2026, Ministry Official Says
An official from the E-Commerce Department of China's Ministry of Commerce stated that the country's e-commerce sector continued positive and innovative development in the first eight months of 2026. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, national online retail sales of goods and services grew by 4.6% year-on-year, with goods up 4.3% and services up 5.1%. The Ministry of Commerce estimates this contributed 1.3 percentage points to the growth of total social retail sales. Digital and health-related products saw relatively fast growth, with online retail sales of mobile phones and outdoor apparel increasing by 6.8% and 6.9%, respectively. Instant retail transaction volumes exceeded double-digit growth. Online retail sales of tourism and lifestyle services on key e-commerce platforms rose by 23.8% and 15.6%, respectively. The official highlighted that the sector drove consumption expansion and quality upgrades through online-offline integration, digital intelligence empowered industrial transformation, and the 'Silk Road E-commerce' partnership network continued to expand, deepening international economic and trade cooperation.
Read sourceChina's Online Retail Sales of Goods and Services Grew 4.6% in First Eight Months
According to a Ministry of Commerce report cited by Tonghuashun Finance, China's national online retail sales of goods and services grew by 4.6% year-on-year from January to August 2026. The data, sourced from the National Bureau of Statistics, showed retail sales of goods and services increased by 4.3% and 5.1%, respectively. The Ministry estimated this contributed 1.3 percentage points to social consumption growth. Digital and health products saw rapid growth, with online sales of mobile phones and outdoor apparel rising 6.8% and 6.9%. Instant retail transaction volumes grew at double-digit rates. Online retail sales of tourism and lifestyle services on key platforms surged 23.8% and 15.6%. The report also highlighted industrial e-commerce driving digital transformation, with online retail sales of agricultural products up 12.5%. Under the 'Silk Road E-commerce' initiative, China established new cooperation mechanisms with Jordan and Kyrgyzstan, expanding partner countries to 38. Sales of specialty products from partner countries, such as Kazakh camel milk and Kenyan coffee beans, saw significant growth.
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China's Online Retail Sales of Goods and Services Grew 4.6% in First Eight Months
According to a report from China News Service on September 20, citing the Ministry of Commerce, China's national online retail sales of goods and services grew by 4.6% in January–August 2026. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that online retail sales of goods increased by 4.3% and services by 5.1%. The Ministry of Commerce estimated that this contributed a 1.3-percentage-point increase to the growth of total social retail sales. Digital and health-related products saw relatively rapid growth. Monitoring data from the Ministry's big-data platform indicated that online retail sales of tourism and lifestyle services rose by 23.8% and 15.6%, respectively. The article also noted that industrial e-commerce is driving digital and intelligent transformation, and the 'Digital Commerce Revitalizing Agriculture' initiative has been deepened. Additionally, the Silk Road E-Commerce initiative expanded, with China establishing new bilateral e-commerce cooperation mechanisms with Jordan and Kyrgyzstan, bringing the number of partner countries to 38. Themed activities under the 'Silk Road E-Commerce Benefits the World' campaign continued, including a China-Iceland E-Commerce Week that promoted local specialty skincare and health products.
Read sourceChina's E-Commerce Grows 4.6% from January to August, Ministry Says
According to a report by the Ministry of Commerce, China's e-commerce sector continued positive and innovative growth from January to August 2026, integrating online and offline channels. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows national retail sales of goods and services via the internet grew by 4.6% in the first eight months, with retail sales of goods increasing by 4.3% and services by 5.1%. The Ministry of Commerce estimates this contributed a 1.3 percentage point increase to the growth of total social retail sales of goods and services. Digital products and health-related items saw relatively rapid growth. Business big data monitoring indicates online retail sales of tourism and lifestyle services on major e-commerce platforms increased by 23.8% and 15.6%, respectively. Industrial e-commerce is driving digital and intelligent transformation, with the 'Digital Commerce Revitalizing Agriculture' initiative being advanced. Under Silk Road E-Commerce, China established new bilateral e-commerce cooperation mechanisms with Jordan and Kyrgyzstan, expanding partner countries to 38. The China-Iceland E-Commerce Week promotes local specialty skincare and health products.