China's H1 2026 Retail Sales Rise 1.3% as Service Retail Grows 2.7%

Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics for the first half of the year showed that total retail sales of consumer goods grew 1.3% year on year, with the market scale expanding steadily and overall operations remaining stable. In June 2026, the bureau released for the first time the indicator for total retail sales of consumer goods and services, which grew 2.7% in the first half, with service retail sales outpacing goods retail sales by 4.2 percentage points. Sales revenue from performing arts performances and museum immersive experiences grew 28.3% and 24.6%, respectively.

Currently, China's per capita GDP has remained above US$13,000 for two consecutive years. Pilot programs for new consumption formats, models, and scenarios have been deepened, leveraging over RMB 300 billion in social investment. Traditional commercial districts are transforming into immersive mixed-use spaces, activating existing commercial stock. Cross-industry integration such as "performance + tourism" and "sports + commerce" continues to develop, with a grassroots sports event capable of driving nearly 50% growth in county-level dining and accommodation.

High-quality supply for experience-based consumption remains heavily concentrated in first-tier cities, with insufficient supply in lower-tier markets, and gaps in products tailored to segments such as the elderly and parent-child groups. Immersive projects require large upfront investment and high iteration costs, leading operators to favor core cities with strong passenger-flow capacity. The 15th Five-Year Plan for Expanding Consumption has made systematic arrangements, including deepening pilot programs for new consumption formats, models, and scenarios, encouraging business integration and digital empowerment, guiding high-quality supply to lower-tier markets, filling gaps in niche segments, and improving industry standards and intellectual property protection.