China online retail sales rise 6.6% as e-commerce demand broadens

A Xinhua image by Jiang Kehong showed a vendor presenting goods at the Shishi Cross-border E-commerce Public Service Center in Shishi City, Fujian Province, on March 30, 2026.

China's Ministry of Commerce said Tuesday that e-commerce activity continued to grow at a measured pace during the January-April period, helping to support consumer spending and wider business activity.

Online retail sales across goods and services were up 6.6 per cent compared with the same period in 2025. The ministry's figures also showed that internet-based sales of goods accounted for 72.2 per cent of the increase in total retail sales of consumer goods.

Agricultural items sold online climbed 12.2 per cent over the four months. In business-to-business e-commerce, transactions involving metal products rose 34.8 per cent, while chemical products recorded a 12.2 per cent increase.

Service industries also benefited from digital sales channels. Online tourism sales advanced 33.2 per cent, and catering sales through e-commerce platforms grew 20 per cent.

The ministry said the Silk Road e-commerce programme helped lift exports from several partner countries into China. Online sales of Thai durians surged 344.8 per cent, Emirati beverages rose 78.6 per cent, and Italian casual pants increased 22.8 per cent during the same January-April period.