China's online retail sales of physical goods rose 5.0% year-on-year in the first five months of 2026, contributing 88.3% of the growth in total retail sales of consumer goods, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
The ministry said e-commerce continued to support manufacturing upgrades through initiatives linking online platforms with industrial clusters and manufacturing hubs, helping companies improve digitalized production and better match supply with demand.
Commerce Ministry data showed strong growth in emerging smart-device categories. Online retail sales of intelligent exoskeletons surged 560.5% in the January-May period, while sales of smart glasses rose 165.9%.
