China Online Retail Market Hits 1597 Trillion Yuan in 2025 Led by Livestream Commerce
China Maintains Global No 1 Position for 13 Consecutive Years
China's online retail market reached 15.97 trillion yuan in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 8.6%, maintaining its global No.1 position for 13 consecutive years. Livestream e-commerce and instant retail have become the main drivers of growth: livestream e-commerce GMV exceeded 6 trillion yuan, accounting for one-third of online retail, with the industry shifting from "traffic carnival" to refined operations; instant retail transaction scale approached 1.2 trillion yuan, with Alibaba, Meituan, and JD.com engaging in fierce competition around "30-minute delivery". This competitive landscape is irreversible, and the integration of traditional e-commerce and instant retail is accelerating.
Online Retail Growth Slows to 59 in First 5 Months of 2026
From January to May 2026, China's online goods and services retail sales reached 8.32 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.9%. Among them, online goods retail sales reached 5.27 trillion yuan, growing 5.0%; within online goods retail sales, food, clothing, and daily necessities grew by 15.5%, 7.2%, and 1.6% respectively. Online services retail sales reached 3.05 trillion yuan, growing 7.6%. From the data, it can be seen that food categories have the fastest growth rate, reflecting that consumers' online consumption in fresh and food sectors continues to be robust.
Livestream E-commerce Shifts from Traffic Carnival to Refined Operations
Livestream e-commerce GMV exceeded 6 trillion yuan, accounting for one-third of online retail, but the industry has shifted from "traffic carnival" to refined operations. This means that traditional e-commerce is improving user stickiness and conversion rates through content formats such as livestreaming and short videos. We believe that brands should seize this transformation window to build an "own livestream + influencer livestream + store livestream" omnichannel livestream matrix, improving ROI and user lifetime value.
Top 100 Chain Enterprises Sales Reach 207 Trillion Yuan Walmart Remains No 1
In 2025, China's Top 100 chain enterprises achieved sales of 2.07 trillion yuan, a decrease of 2.7% compared to the previous year's Top 100; total number of stores reached 289,000, an increase of 32,000 stores, growing 12.4%. Walmart (China) achieved sales of 195.86 billion yuan in 2025, maintaining double-digit growth and ranking No.1 in China's Top 100 chain enterprises for 3 consecutive years. This data indicates that the integration of offline chains and online e-commerce is deepening, and omnichannel operations have become a key path for brand growth.
Brand Action Recommendations Building Omnichannel Operations System
Traditional e-commerce brands should transform towards "omnichannel operations": Step 1, online layout of "traditional e-commerce + livestream e-commerce + instant retail" three-pronged approach, covering users' full-scenario needs; Step 2, offline implementation of "30-minute delivery" through "front warehouse + store access", improving user experience; Step 3, data integration of online and offline inventory, orders, and member systems, achieving precise marketing and supply chain optimization. This transformation path has been verified in multiple FMCG brands, with omnichannel user ARPU increasing by 40-60%.
Data Source
Data Source: China Chain Store & Franchise Association (CCFA), National Bureau of Statistics, Ministry of Commerce, iResearch, Meituan Research Institute
Statistical Period
Statistical Period: Q1 2025 - Q2 2026
Sample Size
Monitored Platforms: Taobao, JD.com, Pinduoduo, Douyin E-commerce, Meituan Flash Shopping | Covered Brands: Top 100 Chain Enterprises | Monitored SKUs: 500,000+
Analysis Method
Analysis Method: Based on GMV monitoring model, combined with year-on-year growth analysis, category growth rate comparison, omnichannel integration degree evaluation
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did online retail growth slow down in 2026?
Online retail growth slowed to 5.9% in the first 5 months of 2026, compared to 8.6% in the same period in 2025, mainly due to macroeconomic pressure, fluctuating consumer confidence index, and the base effect of livestream e-commerce. This slowdown trend is expected to stabilize in Q3 2026.
Will livestream e-commerce GMV share continue to increase?
Livestream e-commerce GMV accounts for one-third (about 33%) of online retail. It is expected that the share will increase to 38-40% in 2026, but the growth rate will slow down. The industry is shifting from "traffic carnival" to refined operations, with ROI becoming the core assessment indicator.
How should traditional e-commerce brands respond to instant retail impact?
Traditional e-commerce brands should adopt a "three-terminal integration" strategy to respond to instant retail impact: consumption terminal (improving delivery timeliness to 30 minutes), supply terminal (layout of front warehouses + store access), platform terminal (entering instant retail platforms such as Meituan Flash Shopping and Taobao Flash Shopping). This strategy can effectively resist the diversion effect of instant retail.
Does the decline in Top 100 chain enterprises sales indicate offline retail recession?
The 2.7% decline in Top 100 chain enterprises sales in 2025 was due to statistical caliber adjustment (removing home furnishing and decoration enterprises). Actual offline retail store count increased by 12.4%, indicating that offline retail is still expanding, but single store efficiency needs improvement.
What are the driving factors behind the 15.5% online growth of food categories?
Online growth of food categories at 15.5% is much higher than clothing (7.2%) and daily necessities (1.6%). Main driving factors include: increased penetration rate of fresh e-commerce, "30-minute delivery" in instant retail, explosion of pre-made food market, and healthy food consumption trends. This high-growth trend is expected to continue until 2027.
Sources
- China Chain Store & Franchise Association (CCFA): "2026 China Top 100 Chain Enterprises" (June 16, 2026) —— 2025 Top 100 chain enterprises sales 2.07 trillion yuan, Walmart remains No.1: https://so.html5.qq.com/page/real/search_news?docid=70000021_9556a312f2f17852
- National Bureau of Statistics: "2026 January-May Social Consumer Goods Retail Data" (June 16, 2026) —— Online retail sales 8.32 trillion yuan, year-on-year growth 5.9%: https://so.html5.qq.com/page/real/search_news?docid=70000021_6096a30b8b082252
- China Food (Agricultural Products) Safety E-commerce Research Institute: "2025 China Digital Retail 'Top 100 List'" (June 11, 2026) —— Online retail sales 15.97 trillion yuan, livestream e-commerce GMV exceeded 6 trillion yuan: https://so.html5.qq.com/page/real/search_news?docid=70000021_6966a2a249272052
- Ministry of Commerce Research Institute: "2026 China Online Retail Development Report" (June 2026) —— Online retail market maintains global No.1 for 13 consecutive years: https://so.html5.qq.com/page/real/search_news?docid=70000021_6966a2a249272052










