BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- China's total retail sales of goods and services, a major indicator of the country's consumption strength, increased by 2.5 percent year on year in the first eight months of 2026, official data showed Tuesday.

Retail sales of services rose 4.9 percent year on year during the January-August period, outpacing the 1-percent growth in goods sales, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

Among service categories, retail sales of communication and information services, tourism consulting and rental services, and cultural, sports and leisure services posted relatively rapid growth.

In the first eight months, retail sales of consumer goods, including sales of goods and catering revenue, totaled 32.76 trillion yuan (about 4.84 trillion U.S. dollars), up 1.1 percent year on year, the data showed.

Online retail sales of goods and services reached 13.48 trillion yuan, up 4.6 percent. Of the total, online goods sales rose 4.3 percent to 8.42 trillion yuan, while online service sales increased 5.1 percent to 5.06 trillion yuan.

In August alone, retail sales of consumer goods stood at 3.98 trillion yuan, up 0.4 percent year on year.