The e-commerce sector in Qingdao, Shandong province posted a strong growth momentum in the first half of this year, said the Qingdao Bureau of Commerce.

Official statistics show that from January to June, the city's online retail sales reached 73.47 billion yuan ($11.37 billion), accounting for 30.3 percent of the province's total and up 20.2 percent year-on-year. The online retail sales volume of Qingdao was ranked first in Shandong province, and second in northern China after Beijing.

The COVID-19 pandemic has fueled the boom of new technologies, new business models and accelerated the development of a contact-free economy that offers online shopping, online education and telemedicine. This opens new pathways for economic growth, said Qingdao authorities.

The city has been ramping up efforts to further cultivate new types of consumption and promote the growth of both online and offline consumption.

The promotion advertisement of the 2021 online Lunar New Year's Shopping Festival in Qingdao. [Photo/dzwww.com]

During the 2021 online Lunar New Year's Shopping Festival, which began on Jan 20 and lasted 30 days, the city generated 16 billion yuan in online retail sales, up 12.3 percent year-on-year.

During the "618" online shopping festival, the city's online retail sales reached 12.86 billion yuan, up 12 percent year-on-year.

According to the Qingdao Bureau of Commerce, Qingdao has launched a slew of measures and policies to facilitate the development of new business forms and online marketing models such as live-streaming e-commerce and social e-commerce. Supportive policies have also been launched to foster local e-commerce brands and platforms.

New business forms open new pathways for economic growth in Qingdao. [Photo/dzwww.com]

The moves will help meet residents' daily needs, spur consumption, foster a complete system for domestic demand, and are of great importance to the development of the new dual-circulation development pattern.