In this May 8, 2020 file photo, a livestream host sells children's clothing at an e-commerce business incubator in Linyi, East China's Shandong province, (PHOTO / XINHUA)
BEIJING – China's online retail sales of goods rose 14.8 percent year on year to 9.8 trillion yuan (about US$1.5 trillion) in 2020, data from the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) showed Tuesday.
China has ranked the largest online retail market in the world for eight years in a row, the MOC said, noting that online retail sales accounted for 24.9 percent of the country's total retail sales volume last year.
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Surging online sales boosted the courier sector, with a total of 83.36 billion parcels being delivered through the year.
In 2020, e-commerce sales via livestreaming also gained popularity, with more than 20 million livestreaming marketing activities taking place.
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The MOC data also showed that the country's imports of consumer goods increased by 8.2 percent year on year to 1.57 trillion yuan.