Total Retail Sales of Consumer Goods up by 8.3 percent in the first quarter 2019

In the first quarter 2019, the total retail sales of consumer goods reached 9,779.0 billion yuan, up by 8.3 percent year-on-year (nominal growth rate. The real growth rate was 6.9 percent. The follows are nominal growth rates if there’s no additional explanation).Of which, the total retail sales of consumer goods reached 3,172.6 billion yuan, up by 8.7 percent year-on-year in March.

In terms of different areas, the retail sales of consumer goods in urban areas was 8,340.2 billion yuan in the first quarter, up by 8.2 percent year-on-year; while that in rural areas was 1,438.8 billion yuan, up by 9.2 percent year-on-year. Of which, the retail sales of consumer goods in urban areas was 2,719.2 billion yuan, up by 8.5 percent year-on-year; while that in rural areas was 453.4 billion yuan, up by 9.4 percent.

In terms of different consumption patterns, the catering services in the first quarter gained 1,064.4 billion yuan, up by 9.6 percent year-on-year. The retail sales of goods gained 8,714.6 billion yuan, up by 8.2 percent. Of the total, in March, the catering services gained 339.3 billion yuan, up by 9.5 percent year-on-year; the retail sales of goods gained 2,833.3 billion yuan, up by 8.6 percent.

In terms of different Retail format, of the total retail sale, the supermarket, store, pro shop above designated size went up by 7.5, 0.9 and 3.9 percent respectively; while that of exclusive shop of units decreased 0.9 percent.

In the first quarter, the national online retail sales of goods and services was 2,237.9 billion yuan, increased 15.3 percent year-on-year. Of which, the online retail sales of physical goods was 1,777.2 billion yuan, increased 21.0 percent, accounting for 18.2 percent of the total retail sales of consumer goods; of the online retail sales of physical goods, food, clothing and using goods went up by 24.6, 19.1 and 21.3 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 of non-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 since March 2018 was revised. The revised figures and figures in 2019 are as follows:

5. The data for the total retail sales of consumer goods of the same period last year have been revised according to the results of the third national agricultural census and related regulations and the growth rates are calculated on a comparable base.