A swing to eCommerce in China is indicated in official figures for the first quarter this year.

Online sales increased 27.5 per cent, accounting for about 11.1 per cent of gross retail sales, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Overall, retail sales were up 10.3 per cent year-on-year, and while urban consumers contributed the lion’s share of the increase, rural spending climbed faster.

Retail sales grew 10.1 per cent last month, compared with 10.5 per cent growth in March.