China's new consumer hotspots constantly emerge in 2025: official

China's total retail sales of consumer goods, a major indicator of the country's consumption strength, surpassed 50 trillion yuan (about seven trillion U.S. dollars) in 2025, with new consumer hotspots keeping emerging, show the latest official data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday.

Speaking at a press conference in Beijing, Kang Yi, head of the NBS, introduced that the total retail sales of consumer goods reached 50.12 trillion yuan (about 7.15 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2025, with the final consumption contributing 52 percent of the country's economic growth, an increase of five percentage points over the previous year.

According to the data, the retail sales reflected a year-on-year growth of 3.7 percent, which was higher by 0.2 percentage point over the 2024 level. This positions China among the leaders in the global retail market.

Notably, the retail sales of services in 2025 emerged as a significant highlight, with the figure growing by 5.5 percent, outpacing sales growth in goods by 1.7 percentage points. Service retail sales in sectors such as tourism consultation and rental services, transportation services, and cultural, sports and leisure services all maintained double-digit growth, while the domestic box office revenue saw an increase of over 20 percent compared to the previous year.

The vigorous development of new consumption formats has injected fresh momentum into the market. E-commerce, live-streaming and online entertainment have driven rapid growth in online consumption, with online retail sales increasing by 8.6 percent in 2025. In particular, the online retail sales of physical goods rose by 5.2 percent, accounting for 26.1 percent of the overall retail sales of consumer goods. New retail models, such as unattended stores and membership-based warehouses, also saw double-digit growth in the year. Meanwhile, green consumption steadily gained traction.

"China has ranked the first globally in both production and sales of new energy vehicles for 11 consecutive years. The deep integration of digital technologies such as artificial intelligence into consumption scenarios has powerfully driven up both the quality and quantity of information consumption. Meanwhile, the silver economy, the ice and snow economy, and the debut economy have all gained momentum, increasingly becoming new drivers of consumption growth," said Kang at the press conference.

China's new consumer hotspots constantly emerge in 2025: official

Chengdu, the capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, is experiencing a significant influx of domestic and international tourists during the five-day May Day holiday, which runs from May 1 to May 5.

To enhance visitors' experiences, local authorities have organized a series of activities, including traditional Chinese cultural performances, intangible cultural heritage markets, and virtual reality (VR) experiences. These initiatives allow tourists to appreciate the city’s historical richness and urban vitality, as well as to sample local delicacies in popular spots like the Wenshu Monastery Neighborhood.

"I’ve always wanted to visit Wenshu Monastery Neighborhood in Chengdu. Here, I watched the Sichuan opera face-changing performance and tried local snacks like San Da Pao (sweet glutinous rice balls) and Liang Fen (jelly noodles)," said Wu Ping, a domestic tourist.

Throughout the holiday, traditional Chinese cultural performances and Hanfu parade have also taken place in the neighborhood, attracting large crowds of visitors.

"There are about 30 of us today, all Hanfu enthusiasts. We can watch dance performances and join the parade," said Zhou Bin, a tourist dressed in traditional Chinese clothing.

For some international visitors, such as Assely from Kazakhstan, Chengdu's history is a major draw.

"It is more historical interest. Because I know it is going very back. It's very good interesting history in China," she said.

The century-old Citang Street is also bustling with activities during the holiday, featuring a VR experience that integrates giant panda culture with traditional Chinese Tai Chi, an ancient internal martial art. This program has become a highlight of the festivities.

"We're coming here to see China. This is our first time here. We came to Chengdu like an hour ago. We can see more technology, more Western tourists," said Nikolas Barwicki, a tourist from Poland.

Chengdu sees surge of tourists during May Day holiday