National Bureau of Statistics: This month, the indicator of total retail sales of consumer goods and services was released for the first time.

On June 16, Fu Linghui, spokesperson for the National Bureau of Statistics, chief economist, and director of the Department of National Economic Comprehensive Statistics, stated at a press conference that the National Bureau of Statistics has released the total retail sales of consumer goods and services for the first time this month. From January to May, the total retail sales of consumer goods and services increased by 2.8% year-on-year. Fu Linghui emphasized the importance of tracking consumer trends comprehensively, not just focusing on goods consumption but also on services consumption. In May, the retail sales of goods experienced a slight decrease, mainly due to a high base in the same period last year, as well as the impact of high temperatures and heavy rainfall in some areas on offline consumption by residents. However, overall, the consumer market is stable and the trend of improving quality and upgrading has not changed.