Ministry of Commerce: In the first half of the year, profit from the key commodity market increased 9.6% year-on-year

The Zhitong Finance App learned that the head of the Distribution Development Department of the Ministry of Commerce discussed the development of China's wholesale and retail industry from January to June 2026. The data shows that the wholesale industry is running smoothly, and the business format structure continues to be optimized. Looking at the wholesale industry, in January-June, the Ministry of Commerce focused on linking commodity markets with a 9.6% year-on-year increase in profit, of which the total profit of industrial and consumer goods increased 11.6% year-on-year. Looking at the retail industry, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, retail sales of convenience stores and supermarkets among retail units above the limit increased by 6.6% and 3.8%, respectively. Retail sales of warehousing member stores and unattended stores all grew by more than 25% year on year, and retail sales of collective stores and shopping malls continued to accelerate.

The original text is as follows:

The head of the Distribution Development Department of the Ministry of Commerce talks about the development of China's wholesale and retail industry from January to June 2026

From January to June 2026, the Ministry of Commerce thoroughly implemented the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, innovatively promoted the construction of a modern trade circulation system, and promoted the high-quality development of the wholesale and retail industry. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, in January-June, China's wholesale and retail industry added value of 7.2 trillion yuan, up 3.7% year on year, accounting for 10.4% of GDP. China's wholesale and retail industry is developing steadily, providing strong support for expanding domestic demand in all aspects and building a strong domestic market.

The wholesale industry is running smoothly, and the business format structure continues to be optimized. Looking at the wholesale industry, in January-June, the Ministry of Commerce focused on linking commodity markets with a 9.6% year-on-year increase in profit, of which the total profit of industrial and consumer goods increased 11.6% year-on-year. Looking at the retail industry, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, retail sales of convenience stores and supermarkets among retail units above the limit increased by 6.6% and 3.8%, respectively. Retail sales of warehousing member stores and unattended stores all grew by more than 25% year on year, and retail sales of collective stores and shopping malls continued to accelerate.

The urban and rural markets are developing simultaneously, and passenger flow consumption is growing steadily. Urban commerce continues to grow. From January to June, passenger traffic and turnover of 78 pedestrian streets and business districts across the country monitored by the Ministry of Commerce increased by 5.1% and 2.8% year-on-year. The county's commercial system continues to improve. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, in January-June, retail sales of consumer goods in rural areas were 3.3 trillion yuan, an increase of 2.5% over the previous year, and the growth rate was 1.3 percentage points higher than in urban areas. Retail sales of consumer goods in counties and towns, including towns and rural areas, accounted for 39.2% of total retail sales of social consumer goods, an increase of 0.3 percentage points over the same period last year. E-commerce in rural areas is growing rapidly. Big business data shows that in January-June, online retail sales in rural areas across the country increased by 7.1% year on year, and online retail sales of agricultural products increased by 12.2% year on year.

Trade-in continues to gain momentum, and domestic “trendy products” are very popular. The trade-in of consumer goods has had positive results. Since this year, more than 63.266 million units of home appliances have been traded in, and over 79.98 million new digital and smart products have been purchased. Sales of smart glasses have been rising month by month, with a month-on-month increase of 30.6% in June. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, in January-June, retail sales of communication equipment per unit above the limit were 551.9 billion yuan, an increase of 14.4% over the previous year. Time-honored products are popular. A total of 104 special events of the 2026 “Time-honored Brand Carnival” were held in various regions, achieving direct sales of 730 million yuan and driving online and offline sales of 11.044 billion yuan. Platform enterprise data shows that in January-June, dine-in transaction volume of time-honored Chinese catering companies increased 10.5% year-on-year.

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