China is stepping up efforts to boost domestic spending and U.S. retail giant Walmart is expanding across the country to meet demand.
A new Sam’s Club recently opened in Jiangsu Province in eastern China. Two more stores are set to launch in Shandong Province in May, while a second location is under construction in Liaoning Province in the north-east. The timing is no coincidence.
For years, China’s economy relied on exports and large-scale infrastructure investment. This year’s official work report (the document that sets the country’s economic priorities) placed “building a robust domestic market” first on the list for 2026.
The directive calls for upgrading consumer services, creating new shopping experiences, and actively expanding new areas of consumer spending.
The numbers suggest Walmart is already benefiting. The company reported net sales of $6.1 billion in China in its most recent quarter, up more than 19 per cent year-on-year.
Online sales rose 28 per cent and now account for more than half of total revenue in the market, highlighting how thoroughly e-commerce and physical retail have merged in China. Shoppers routinely order in-store products via apps and expect delivery within the hour.
Local governments are keen to be part of the expansion. Officials in provinces where new Walmart stores are opening have expressed hopes for deeper supply chain ties, greater procurement of locally made goods, and access to Walmart’s global retail network.
Authorities in Jinan, where one of the new Shandong stores is being built, project the site will generate roughly 1.5 billion yuan in annual sales and around 45 million yuan in tax revenue each year.
However, growth in consumer spending remains steady rather than rapid. Chinese households, still affected by years of economic uncertainty, are not rushing to increase spending.
A government directive can set direction, but it cannot manufacture confidence overnight.
Still, the alignment of interests is notable. Beijing wants stronger consumption, local officials want investment, and Walmart is seeking growth in one of the few major markets where it still has significant room to expand.
For now, all three are moving in the same direction.
Yemen’s Houthis have claimed responsibility for the recent drone and missile strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities in Dhahran and Riyadh and at ...
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk...
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his Israeli counterpart, Isaac Herzog, met on 14 October to discuss bilateral ties and key regional and inte...
Yemen’s Houthis have claimed responsibility for the recent drone and missile strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities in Dhahran and Riyadh and at King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia, vowing to carry out more attacks in the coming days.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said late Monday that it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi group toward Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
Thousands of young Georgians leave the country each year in search of better economic opportunities, with many moving west. As questions grow over Georgia’s European path, AnewZ spoke to people who have emigrated about what it would take for them to return.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia hit at least six energy targets in deadly strikes across Ukraine, showing Moscow is unwilling to accept the energy ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk's SpaceX, to pilot drones. A source in Ukraine's Defence Ministry said the restrictions would make it harder for Kyiv's army to down Russian drones.
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk's SpaceX, to pilot drones. A source in Ukraine's Defence Ministry said the restrictions would make it harder for Kyiv's army to down Russian drones.
A 62-year-old man died on Wednesday after floodwaters swept his car into the sea on the Greek island of Rhodes, as torrential rain flooded roads, stranded vehicles and disrupted transport across the island.
A failure by the U.S. and Iran to reach an agreement on a UN-backed fertiliser shipping plan for the Strait of Hormuz within weeks could trigger a food security crisis in parts of Asia and Africa, a senior UN official has warned.
Pope Leo has been diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer, after surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung. The Vatican says the tumour was detected during a routine health check, but its stage and whether it has spread remain unknown.
Greek students braved heavy rain to pitch tents outside parliament in Athens on Tuesday, demanding affordable housing and more education funding as rising living costs put university places beyond the reach of some students.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment