China: Retail Foods

In 2020, China’s overall retail sales decreased 4 percent while online retail sales increased 11 percent due to the pandemic’s effects on consumer habits. In the first four months of 2021, retail sales of consumer goods rebounded, increasing 29.6 percent compared to the same period in 2020. Online food and grocery sales increased an impressive 31 percent in 2020 as residents dined out less and online platforms met consumer demand for contactless delivery. Major retail trends include the continued move toward unifying e-commerce and brick-and-mortar retail, enhanced food and grocery delivery services, the growth of live streaming, and the rapid development of the community group buying platform. In 2020, imports of consumer-oriented food products from the world reached $82 billion, an increase of 13.7 percent compared to 2019. U.S. exports of consumer-oriented food products to China increased 69 percent to a record $5.4 billion in 2020, driven by strong growth in pork, beef, and poultry meat.