Total Retail Sales of Consumer Goods in the First Three Months of 2016

In March of 2016, the total retail sales of consumer goods reached 2511.4 billion yuan, up by 10.5 percent year-on-year (nominal growth rate. The real growth rate was 9.7 percent. The follows are nominal growth rates if there’s no additional explanation). Of the total, the retail sales of consumer goods of units above designated size was 1171.7 billion yuan, increased 8.6 percent.

In first three months of 2016, the total retail sales of consumer goods reached 7802.4 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 10.3 percent. Of the total, the retail sales of consumer goods of units above designated size was 3462.5 billion yuan, increased 8.0 percent.

In terms of different areas, the retail sales of consumer goods in urban areas was 2161.6 billion yuan in March, up by 10.4percent, year-on-year; while that in rural areas was 349.8 billion yuan, up by 11.1percent. From January to March, the retail sales of consumer goods in urban areas was 6692.0 billion yuan, up by 10.2percent, year-on-year, and that in rural areas was 1110.5 billion yuan, up by 11.0percent, year-on-year.

In terms of different consumption patterns, the catering services in March gained 259.5 billion yuan, up by 11.3 percent, year-on-year. The retail sales of goods gained 4725.9 billion yuan, up by 10.1 percent.

The retail sales amount of goods of units above designated size in March was 1105.1 billion yuan, up by 8.7 percent year-on-year, . Of the total, the retail sales of consumer goods of units above designated size was 3257.9 billion yuan, increased 8.0 percent.

From January to March, the national online retail sales of goods and services was 1025.1billion yuan, increased 27.8 percent year-on-year. Of which, the online retail sales of physical goods was 824.1billion yuan, increased 25.9 percent, accounting for 10.6 percent of the total retail sales of consumer goods; Of the online retail sales of physical goods, food, clothing and other commodities went up by 35.5 percent, 16.0 percent and 29.5 percent respectively.

Annotations:

1. Explanatory Notes

Total Retail Sales of Consumer Goods: refers to the sales of physical commodity or the income of catering services sold or provided by enterprises (units) to individuals, social organizations for non-production and non-operation purposes.

Online Retail Sales: refers to the sales of goods and services got through public online trading platform (including self-built websites and third-party platform). Goods and services include physical goods and non-physical goods (such as virtual product, services). 

The total retail sales of consumer goods includes online retail sales of physical goods, excludes online retail sales ofnon-physical goods.

2.Statistical Coverage

The corporate enterprises, industrial activity units or self-employed individuals which retail goods or provide catering services. Enterprises (units) above designated size refer to those wholesale enterprises (units) with an annual revenue from primary business of 20 million yuan and above, those retail enterprises (units) with an annual revenue from primary business of 5 million yuan and above, and those hotel and catering enterprises (units) with an annual revenue from primary business of 2 million yuan and above.

3. Survey Methods

All enterprises (units) above designated size are surveyed, while the data of enterprises (units) below designated size are collected by sampling survey.

4. Month-on-Month Figure Revision

According to the auto-revision function of the seasonal adjustment model, the growth rate of the total retail sales of consumer goods sinceMay 2014 was revised. The revised figures and figures in March 2016are as follows:

5.Data of the total retail sales of consumer goods in 2013 was revised according to the results of the Third National Economic Census, and data of the total retail sales of consumer goods in 2014 was adjusted accordingly.