In the first three quarters, service retail sales grew 5.0% year on year, and inbound consumption heated up

Yang Mu, Director of the Market Operation and Consumption Promotion Department of the Ministry of Commerce, introduced at the State Council Information Office press conference on October 22 that "China Haul" continues to gain popularity, and inbound consumption shows three new characteristics: categories expanding toward "new," scenarios extending toward "broad," and preferences shifting toward "buying." From January to August this year, nationwide departure tax refund sales increased by about 60% year on year, and the number of people processing tax refunds increased 3-fold; there are now more than 18,000 tax refund stores nationwide, a 4-fold increase compared with the end of 2024.

Yang Mu, Director of the Market Operations and Consumption Promotion Department of the Ministry of Commerce, said at the State Council Information Office press conference on October 22 that demand for service consumption such as culture and entertainment, tourism, performances, and sports events is strong and has become a new growth driver for consumption. In the first three quarters of this year, service retail sales grew by 5.0% year on year, 4 percentage points higher than goods retail sales. In 2025, China's per capita GDP is already close to USD 14,000, and consumption is at a critical stage of shifting from being dominated by goods to placing equal emphasis on goods and services.