E-commerce stimulates greater consumption potential (see highlights in mid-year ③)

　　Core reading

　　In the first half of this year, my country's consumer market generally showed a steady recovery and continued recovery, which played an important role in supporting the stable recovery of the economy.

Among them, online sales maintained rapid growth, and online retail sales of physical goods nationwide increased by 18.7% year-on-year.

　　With the rapid development of new business formats and new models such as live e-commerce, the integration of online and offline consumption models has accelerated, which has injected strong momentum into the consumer market.

　　"This dress is not only fashionable, but the fabric is also very comfortable. If you like it, please click on the link to place an order." Rui holding a sunscreen suit, selling her own products to the camera.

On the day of this year's "618" promotion, her live-streamed sales alone caught up with the full-day sales of last year's "618" in the store.

　　In the first half of this year, the recovery momentum of my country's consumer market continued to increase, among which online sales maintained rapid growth.

In the first half of the year, the national online retail sales of physical goods increased by 18.7% year-on-year, and the growth rate increased by 4.4 percentage points over the same period last year; the two-year average growth rate was 16.5%, 1.1 percentage points faster than the first quarter.

Driven by new formats and models such as live e-commerce and fresh food e-commerce, e-commerce has injected stronger momentum into the consumer market.

　Live broadcast e-commerce shows strong ability to bring goods

　　"I have been an anchor for several years, and the volume of shipments has been increasing year by year." Xu Fei, an e-commerce anchor, has started his own live streaming path since 2016. After more than 5 years of experience, he will be in "618" this year. During the promotion period, the single-day sales with goods exceeded 20 million yuan.

In her view, the live broadcast industry will become more mature and consumers will become more rational. The anchors need to be more vertical and professional to better serve consumers.

　　In recent years, new business formats and new models have developed rapidly, and live broadcast e-commerce companies have shown a strong ability to bring goods.

According to the "2021 China Live E-commerce Industry Research Report" issued by the China International Electronic Commerce Center Research Institute of the Ministry of Commerce, as of the end of last year, the number of online live broadcast users in my country reached 617 million, of which e-commerce live broadcast users reached 388 million.

In 2020, the overall scale of live delivery in my country will exceed 1 trillion yuan, and it is expected to be close to two trillion yuan in 2021.

During the "Dual Product Online Shopping Festival" (brand building and quality consumption) activities organized by the Ministry of Commerce at the end of April, about 710,000 live broadcasts were broadcast on the entire network, with a total of 4 billion viewers.

　　Offline shopping malls and shopping centers are also accelerating their embrace of the new format of live streaming.

In the first half of this year, Intime Department Store’s live broadcast sales increased substantially year-on-year.

In offline shopping malls, live streaming has also spawned a new career of live streaming salesperson.

Unlike traditional salesmen, their main job is to serve customers in the live broadcast room to ensure that customers can get a high-quality shopping experience.

　　Thanks to the development of live streaming, the integration of online and offline consumption models has accelerated.

New technologies and new business models have changed the original consumption model. Live streaming has opened up many online and offline consumption scenarios, providing consumers with a high-quality shopping experience.

　Rapid growth in sales of upgraded products

　　In the first half of the year, driven by the new business models, the growth of consumption upgrade products accelerated.

In the second quarter, the two-year average growth rate of retail sales of cosmetics, gold, silver and jewellery and sports and entertainment products accelerated by 3.2, 1.7 and 2.9 percentage points respectively over the first quarter.

　　"Small and beautiful" online brands have become consumer highlights.

This type of brand has generally been established in a short period of time. After network cultivation, it has rapidly formed strong competitiveness in subdivisions.

In the "Dual Product Online Shopping Festival", the retail sales of some "small and beautiful" online brands such as floor scrubbers, electric toothbrushes, and color cosmetics all increased by more than 100% year-on-year.

　　Personalized customization has become a new trend in consumption.

E-commerce platforms give full play to the advantages of big data, accurately match the supply side and the demand side, and continue to meet the consumer needs of young people.

In the “Dual Product Online Shopping Festival” event, online retail sales of customized furniture increased by 95.4% year-on-year.

　　In the first half of the year, online service consumption also accelerated its recovery.

During the "Dual Product Online Shopping Festival", online catering sales increased by 51.1% year-on-year.

In the first half of the year, my country's catering revenue increased by 48.6% year-on-year, and the scale of catering consumption basically recovered to the level of the same period in 2019.

Relying on smart tourism platforms, various regions have accurately forecast and manage passenger flow. Online tourism sales have increased by 3.3 times year-on-year, and the trend of high-quality travel is obvious.

The consumer market has steadily recovered and continued to pick up

　　The relevant person in charge of the Ministry of Commerce introduced that in the first half of the year, my country's consumer market generally showed a steady recovery and continued recovery, which played an important role in supporting the stable recovery of the economy.

In the first half of the year, my country's total retail sales of consumer goods increased by 23% year-on-year, and the contribution rate of consumption to GDP growth rebounded to 61.7%.

Compared with 2019, the total retail sales of consumer goods in the first half of the year increased by 9%, of which the first quarter increased by 8.5%, the second quarter increased by 9.4%, and the second quarter increased by 0.9 percentage points from the first quarter.

　　Bulk consumption such as automobiles has grown rapidly.

In the first half of the year, automobile retail sales reached 2.2 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 30.4%, and its contribution to the total retail sales of consumer goods reached 13%.

　　The recovery of cultural tourism consumption has been accelerated.

Movie box office revenue has recovered to nearly 90% in the same period in 2019, railway and civil aviation passenger traffic has recovered to nearly 80%, and red tourism, rural tourism, and self-driving tours are booming.

　　Green, healthy and smart consumption is highly favored.

For example, new energy vehicle sales accounted for 9.4% of vehicle sales, and 5G mobile phone shipments accounted for 73.4% of mobile phone shipments.

　　"As my country's economy continues to recover steadily, epidemic prevention and control have become more precise and effective, various policies and measures have taken effect, and residents' consumer confidence has gradually increased. It is expected that the overall consumer market will continue to improve in the direction of recovery." Zhu Xiaoliang, Director of the Department of Consumption Promotion, said that the Ministry of Commerce will firmly implement the strategy of expanding domestic demand, promote the implementation of measures to comprehensively promote consumption, further stimulate market vitality and release consumption potential.

　　Feel

　　In the digital age, offline stores cannot be left behind.

In recent years, we have participated in large-scale promotional activities on online platforms every year.

Especially during the shopping festival held on the e-commerce platform, the linkage between stores and online is closer.

Through diversified activities, we have opened up online and offline activities to attract more customers to the store. The average daily order volume of stores during the "618" promotion period has increased significantly.

　　——Yang Jie, manager of the flower shop

　　Embracing the Internet has brought real changes to offline physical stores.

Through online traffic conversion, offline store sales grew rapidly.

At the same time, stores are also actively exploring digital upgrades, providing consumers with more accurate and diverse services through the establishment of member communities and live broadcasts.

　　——Liu Zhiyao, operator of liquor sales stores

　　In the past, it was not convenient for residents of small county towns to buy major appliances.

Nowadays, with the expansion of e-commerce channels to county and township markets, consumers in small places can also enjoy the same high-quality goods and services as in large cities.

Express logistics is more convenient, we can deliver to the door and install it, which makes consumers more willing to spend money and have a stronger sense of gain and happiness.

　　—— Liu Tingting, manager of a home appliance store

　　Layout design: Wang Zheping

　　Our reporter Wang Ke