Retail, online buying to boost consumption sector recovery in China

The growth rate of China's consumption market will recover sharply this year, thanks to the booming service consumption sector, growing online consumption and smart retail, industry experts said.

Zhao Ping, director of the international trade research department of the Academy of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said the burgeoning service consumption sector will boost steady growth of the whole consumption sector this year.

The national average service consumption expenditure reached 2,329 yuan ($346.7) in the first quarter of this year, surging 11.9 percent year-on-year, data from the Ministry of Commerce showed. That growth rate was 4.6 percentage points higher than the total average consumption expenditure growth. Specifically, average food and beverage service consumption jumped by 18.6 percent, average medical service consumption soared 15.7 percent, while average education expenditure shot up by 35.8 percent.