At present, county consumption is gradually becoming a new driving force for driving domestic demand and promoting economic growth. The "Special Action Plan to Boost Consumption" issued by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council not long ago proposed that it is necessary to improve urban and rural consumption facilities, implement county-level commercial construction actions and the transformation and upgrading of "Thousand Collections and Ten Thousand Stores", and strengthen the construction of county-level logistics and distribution centers and rural terminal logistics and distribution facilities.
At present, my country's county consumption field is showing characteristics such as huge market, rich levels, diverse scenarios, and wide age span. While consumption demand is becoming increasingly diversified and personalized, consumption services in my country's county are also increasing. Data from the Ministry of Commerce shows that from 2023 to March 2025, a total of 2,628 county-level comprehensive commercial service centers, 13,391 township commercial centers, and 138,000 village-level convenience stores were built and renovated nationwide.
Facts such as the continued growth of residents' income, the continuous expansion of e-commerce channels, and the steady advancement of urbanization are building momentum for county consumption. Data shows that the growth rate of residents' income in some counties in my country has exceeded the national average for many years. With the increase in income, consumption demand has shifted from meeting basic living needs to pursuing quality life, and consumption willingness to consume high-end home appliances, smart home products, high-quality educational services, and characteristic cultural and tourism experience has been significantly enhanced. County consumption potential is huge. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows that the retail sales of rural consumer goods increased by 4.6% year-on-year in the first two months of this year, 0.8 percentage points higher than those of urban and urban areas, and the growth rate of retail sales of rural consumer goods increased by 38 consecutive months. These data fully demonstrate the huge potential and vigorous vitality of the county consumer market.
It should be noted that my country still faces many challenges in continuing to stimulate county consumption potential. From the perspective of infrastructure, the basic supporting facilities such as transportation, logistics and distribution in some counties are not yet perfect, which restricts the efficient circulation of online consumption and goods. From the perspective of the consumption environment, there is a problem of insufficient market order. Some merchants lack the awareness of honest operation, and the quality of goods is uneven, and consumers are worried. At the same time, the consumption format is relatively single, lacking large commercial complexes, high-quality entertainment and leisure places, etc., making it difficult to meet the diversified consumption needs of residents.
Enhance the construction of county commercial facilities. For example, scientific planning and upgrading of commercial blocks, shopping centers, etc. within the county can be carried out. Create a comprehensive commercial center integrating shopping, catering and entertainment, enrich the variety of products, introduce more well-known brands and specialty stores, and meet the diversified and personalized needs of different consumer groups; transform markets and various stores within the county, optimize the store environment, and improve service quality. For example, guide traditional stores to undergo digital and intelligent transformation, support them to carry out online and offline integrated operations, and expand sales channels. At the same time, specialty shops are encouraged to explore local cultural elements, develop products with local characteristics, enhance product competitiveness, and allow small shops to become a powerful node to drive consumption.
Strengthen the construction of logistics and distribution facilities. We can increase investment in county-level logistics distribution centers, improve their warehousing, sorting, transportation and other functions, and improve logistics efficiency. It can also accelerate the construction of rural terminal logistics and distribution facilities, increase the number of rural express service stations, and ensure that express delivery is delivered to rural consumers in a timely and accurate manner. Strengthening the construction of distribution facilities will not only help county-level special products to better "go global" and open up external markets, but also facilitate rural residents to buy various products online and promote consumption growth.
Improve supporting services and policy support. Further improve the county's parking lots, public bathrooms and other infrastructure to create a comfortable and convenient consumption environment. In addition, local governments can introduce relevant preferential policies, such as providing tax reductions and financial subsidies to enterprises participating in commercial construction and logistics facility construction, to stimulate the enthusiasm of business entities to participate, jointly help the county to fully release its consumption potential and promote the vigorous development of the county economy. (Author: Ma Weiwei)
