China’s department store sector has gone through some ups and downs in the last decade. The lackluster performance since 2010 was due in part to the rise of e-commerce as well as the government’s strengthened anti-corruption efforts to eliminate lavish gifts for government officials since late 2012.

In recent years, many department store operators have become more customer centric. They have made relentless efforts to transform and upgrade their businesses by incorporating more experiential elements to enhance shopping ambience, enriching product offerings, engaging in direct sales business, among others. Many department store operators have seen some signs of rebound in both total sales and profits.

China’s Department Stores Report 2018-2019 analyses the macroeconomic data and collects financial data from 90 domestic department store operators to gauge the sector’s performance in 2018. The report also discusses the key innovation and transformation initiatives of leading department store operators, major issues and challenges faced by the sector, and development trends for 2019.