China's online retail sales up 11.5% in January-April period

A staff member sells summer oranges via live broadcasts at a digital e-commerce center in Zigui county, Yichang, Hubei province on Aug 4, 2023. [Photo/VCG]

BEIJING - China's online retail sales saw steady expansion in the first four months of 2024, with emerging growth forces continuing to boost consumption, official data showed on Tuesday.

The country's online retail sales rose 11.5 percent year-on-year to 4.41 trillion yuan ($620.52 billion) during the period, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

Specifically, online retail sales of physical goods climbed 11.1 percent year-on-year to 3.74 trillion yuan, contributing 23.9 percent of China's retail sales of consumer goods, the ministry said.

The country's consumption of key online services monitored by the ministry jumped 25.1 percent year-on-year in the same period, and its consumption of digital, green and health commodities also grew rapidly.

In April, China's online sales of home appliances and furniture increased 9.3 percent and 12.2 percent, respectively, supported by the country's consumer goods trade-in policy.