Ministry of Commerce: Online retail sales grew 4.4% in the first three quarters, while cross-border e-commerce maintained relatively rapid growth

On October 28, data from the Ministry of Commerce and other sources showed that from January to September 2026, nationwide online retail sales of goods and services grew by 4.4% year on year, contributing 45.4% to the growth in total retail sales of consumer goods and services. During the same period, cross-border e-commerce maintained relatively rapid growth, and the role of online channels in driving the real economy continued to strengthen.

These figures refer to two distinct indicators: 4.4% reflects the growth rate of online retail sales of goods and services, while 45.4% represents their contribution to the growth in total retail sales of consumer goods and services. It does not mean that online retail sales account for 45.4% of total retail sales. Taken together, the figures show that online channels remain an important driver of consumption growth.

The relatively rapid growth of cross-border e-commerce is another development worth noting. Its impact on foreign trade and consumption may be transmitted through transaction demand to areas such as order processing, warehousing, and logistics fulfillment. If growth continues, relevant businesses will need to focus not only on order volumes, but also on whether their delivery capabilities can keep pace with business growth.

However, overall growth in nationwide online retail and relatively rapid growth in cross-border e-commerce do not mean that all platforms, merchants, or product categories are benefiting equally. The available data are also insufficient to quantify the specific contribution of cross-border e-commerce to overall growth or to infer changes in merchant profits.

Going forward, it will be worth monitoring whether online retail growth continues and how cross-border e-commerce growth is reflected in more specific transaction and fulfillment performance. Further breakdowns of the data will help determine which business areas are primarily benefiting from the role of online channels.