China's retail prosperity index rebounds in Aug

China's prosperity index in the retail industry, a comprehensive index reflecting changes in retail business expectation in the current period, reached 50.1 percent in August, up 0.5 percentage points compared with that of July, according to a survey released by the China General Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday.

Among some key indicators in the sub-index sections, the index for commodity operation was up by 1.0 percentage point compared to July, reaching 49.7 percent in August, signaling a rebound in offline spending, and the index for leasing operation reaching 52.1 percent, remaining in a boom range.

Expectations for offline retail sales of goods improved significantly in August, underscoring the effectiveness of current stimulus policies. Meanwhile, the index for leasing operations maintained at a high level, thanks to the cultural and tourism consumption during the summer vacation.

The combined policies—trade-in programs, childcare subsidy program, and the gradual free preschool education policy—are significant in unlocking domestic consumption potential.