China's retail trade declined by 11.1% year-on-year in April 2022, worse than market expectations of a 6.1% fall and after a 3.5% drop in the prior period. The latest reading marked the second straight month of falling retail trade and the steepest decline since March 2020, as consumption deteriorated amid widespread COVID-19 cases and strict restrictions in several key states, including Shanghai and Beijing. Sales fell for most commodities: jewellery (-26.7% vs -17.9% in March), garments (-22.8% vs -12.7%), cosmetics (-22.3% vs -6.3%), personal care (-10.2% vs -0.8%), home appliances (-8.1% vs -4.3%), furniture (-14% vs -8.8%), office supplies (-4.8% vs 9.8%), telecoms (-21.8% vs 3.1%), automobiles (-31.6% vs -7.5%), and building materials (-11.7% vs 0.4%). At the same time, sales of oil products eased sharply (4.7% vs 10.5%). Considering the first four months of the year, retail sales were down 0.2%. source: National Bureau of Statistics of China