Ministry of Commerce: Total retail sales of consumer goods were 4.39 trillion yuan in November, up 1.3% year on year

The Zhitong Finance App learned that on December 19, according to information from the Ministry of Commerce, the head of the Consumer Promotion Department of the Ministry of Commerce discussed the situation in China's consumer market in November 2025. In November, total retail sales of consumer goods amounted to 4.39 trillion yuan, an increase of 1.3% over the same period last year (same below). From January to November, total retail sales of consumer goods reached 45.6 trillion yuan, an increase of 4.0%. The cumulative growth rate was 0.5 percentage points faster than the same period last year.

First, commodity consumption remains stable. In November, retail sales of goods increased by 1.0%. Sales of basic lifestyle products grew steadily. Among them, retail sales of food, clothing, shoes and hats per unit above the limit increased by 6.1% and 3.5%, respectively. Sales of some upgraded products grew rapidly. Among them, retail sales of gold and silver jewelry and cosmetics increased by 8.5% and 6.1%, respectively. Trade-in related categories grew rapidly, with retail sales of communication equipment and cultural office supplies increasing by 20.6% and 11.7% respectively.

Second, service consumption is growing rapidly. In January-November, retail sales of services increased by 5.4%. The growth rate was 0.1 percentage points faster than in January-October, and 1.3 percentage points faster than retail sales of goods during the same period. Among them, retail sales of cultural, sports and leisure services and communication and information services maintained double-digit growth. In November, food and beverage revenue increased by 3.2%, maintaining steady growth.

Third, there is strong demand for new types of consumers. From January to November, online retail sales increased by 9.1%, with online retail sales of physical goods increasing by 5.7%. According to the Ministry of Commerce's Big Business Data, sales of key monitoring platforms such as action cameras, smart robots, and first-class energy efficiency televisions all increased by more than 20% in November. According to data from the Automobile Dealers Association, the penetration rate of new energy passenger vehicles reached 59.3% in November.

Fourth, consumption is faster in rural areas than in towns. The county's commercial system continues to improve, and the consumption potential of the sinking market is being released at an accelerated pace. In January-November, retail sales of consumer goods in rural areas increased by 4.4%, 0.5 percentage points faster than in urban areas; in November, retail sales of consumer goods in rural areas increased by 2.8%, 1.8 percentage points faster than in urban areas.

This article was selected from the “Ministry of Commerce” official website, Zhitong Finance Editor: Feng Qiuyi.