China revises listing of top 30 commercial chain stores

A revised listing of China's top 30commercial chain stores according to their sales and number of outlets in the first six months was released by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOC) on Thursday.

The Shanghai-based Bailian Group topped the list with a sales volume of 30.39 billion yuan (3.67 billion US dollars) and 4,789 stores as of June.

The following four largest were Gome and Suning, two of China'slargest home appliance retailers, Dalian-based Dashang Group and the Carrefour branch in China.

Foreign-based chain stores witnessed quick growth in the first half year, the ministry said. Of the top 30, five were foreign-funded ones, including Carrefour China, Wal-Mart China and Metro Jinjiang Cash and Carry Co.

Their sales volume totaled at 27.15 billion yuan, up 23.3 percent year on year with 1,795 stores, MOC figures show.

The floor sales volume of the top 30 was 2.08 billion yuan, up about 100 percent year on year and 11 chains of the top 30 recorded 5 billion-yuan-over sales volume respectively, which indicated a sound development of chain stores in China, MOC said.

The sales of the top 30 summed up to 170.51 billion yuan, surging by 38 percent year on year and accounting for 6.8 percent of China's total retail sales in the same period, MOC figures show.