I. The data in this chapter show the development of Chinas domestic market and the sales of the commodities in wholesale
and retail sale trades as well as catering trade, including mainly the circulation of commodities in the wholesale and retail sale
trades, the financial condition of the wholesale, retail and catering trade enterprises, the total sales of the consumer goods in
the whole country and the domestic fair trade, etc.

II. Data in this chapter are collected and processed in accordance with the statistical reporting scheme on wholesale and retail
sale trades as well as catering trade, stipulated by the Department of Trade and External Economic Relations of the National
Bureau of Statistics. Data on the urban and rural fair trade are provided respectively by the State Administration for Industry
and Commerce.

III. Statistical coverage and survey methods: Statistics on financial conditions include all corporate enterprises of wholesale,
retail and catering trade that are above the designated size. Statistics on retail sales of consumer goods include all
enterprises, institutional units and peasants engaged in retail sale business. The method used in data collection for
enterprises (units) above designated size is a complete enumeration, under which all units are covered in the survey and
data are reported from lower to higher level statistical offices. For units below the designated size, sample surveys are used,
and in some cases, administrative registers from industrial and commercial administration and taxation administration are
used in the estimation.

IV. In this chapter, the sum of total retail sales of consumer goods of all provinces is not equal to the national total, as the
national total has been adjusted and modified in line with national accounts data and data from other departments.