China's shopping mall sector sees upturn in H1

Over 70 percent of shopping malls across China recorded increased foot traffic in the first half of 2026 (H1), showing a mild upward trend, a survey showed Monday.

The survey, released by the China Chain Store & Franchise Association, covered companies operating in China's shopping mall sector. It showed that more than 40 percent of respondents reported a 5 to 10 percent rise in foot traffic in the first six months.

Online shopping also saw an uptick during the period, with 43.4 percent of surveyed companies reporting a higher online sales ratio, according to the survey.

The survey also showed that shopping malls nationwide posted a higher occupancy rate during the period.

China's total retail sales of goods and services, a major indicator of the country's consumption strength, increased by 2.7 percent year on year in the first half of 2026, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

Boosting consumption is a key task set out in the outline of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), which calls for efforts to strengthen people's spending power, bolster their willingness to spend, and increase the supply of quality goods and services to meet the diverse needs of consumers.