Wholesale Trade refers to the activities of wholesalers selling daily necessities and production materials in bulk to wholesale and retail units, other enterprises, institutions, and government agencies, as well as engaging in import and export trade, trade brokerage, and agency activities. Wholesalers may hold ownership of the goods they distribute and conduct transactions in the name of their own units or companies; they may also act as agents without ownership of the goods; additionally, it includes wholesale activities from fixed stalls in various commodity wholesale markets.

  Retail Trade refers to commodity circulation enterprises that purchase goods from industrial and agricultural producers, wholesale trade entities, or residents, and resell them to urban and rural residents for personal consumption or to social organizations for public consumption. It encompasses sales activities primarily targeting end consumers (e.g., residents) through department stores, supermarkets, specialized retail stores, brand specialty stores, and vending stalls. This includes sales conducted via the internet, postal services, telephone, vending machines, etc. It also includes establishments where goods are processed or produced onsite and sold at the front, such as bakeries.

  The wholesale and retail trade is a crucial link in the socialized mass production process, serving as a guiding force that determines the speed, quality, and efficiency of economic operations. It is one of the most market-oriented and fiercely competitive industries in China. From the perspective of macroeconomic trends, the income level of residents is generally in a phase of rapid growth. In the long term, both the total volume and structural aspects of China's household consumption hold significant development potential, providing a favorable medium-to-long-term macroeconomic environment for the development of the wholesale and retail industry.

  CnOpenData has compiled basic information on industrial and commercial registered enterprises in China's wholesale and retail trade from 1950 to the present, based on the national economic industry classification. The dataset is divided into two major categories: wholesale trade and retail trade, vividly illustrating the developmental trajectory of these sectors in China since the founding of the People's Republic.

Time Period

1950-2024.10

Industry Details

Field Display

Sample Data

Basic Information Data on Industrial and Commercial Registered Enterprises in Wholesale Trade

Basic Information Data on Industrial and Commercial Registered Enterprises in Retail Trade

Data Update Frequency

Annual updates