(Yicai Global) Aug. 14 -- China's retail sales fell for a seventh straight month in July from a year earlier, thwarting expectations for a small uptick in consumer spending.

Retail sales fell 1.1 percent to CNY3.22 trillion (USD463.4 billion) last month, the National Bureau of Statistics said today.That was less than the average0.34 percent expansion predicted by 26 economists surveyed by Yicai Global.But the headline rate was better than June’s 1.8 percent shrinkage.

After plunging 20.5 percent in both January and February, the retail sales picked up each month, particularly in April and May asChina has been unveiling measures to revive consumer confidence hit by the coronavirus outbreak. The country emerged from lockdown at the end of February.

Editor: Emmi