Ministry of Commerce: Consumer market maintained stable operation in August with a year-on-year increase of 3.6% in retail sales of consumer goods.

The person in charge of the consumption promotion department of the Ministry of Commerce stated that in August 2025, the overall consumption market in China remained stable. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, the total retail sales of consumer goods in that month reached 3.97 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 3.4%, which was 1.3 percentage points higher than the same period last year. From January to August, the total retail sales of consumer goods reached 32.39 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 4.6%, which was 1.2 percentage points higher than the same period last year. In August, the retail sales of goods increased by 3.6% year-on-year, with rapid growth in sales of products related to trade-in promotions. Among them, the retail sales of furniture, household appliances, cultural and office supplies, and communication equipment of enterprises above designated size increased by 18.6%, 14.3%, 14.2%, and 7.3% respectively. According to the monitoring of the Ministry of Commerce, in August, the sales of key retail enterprises such as tablets, smart air conditioners, and mobile phones increased by 20.7%, 17.7%, and 8.2% respectively compared to the same period last year. According to data from the automobile circulation association, the retail sales of passenger cars increased by 4.6% year-on-year in August.