Retail sales in the second half of this year will show a slight improvement on first-half figures, Shen Danyang, spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce, told a news briefing on Wednesday.

Sales started to pick up in March and increased 13.3 percent year-on-year in June, according to the ministry. The first six months saw retail sales rise 12.7 percent year-on-year to 1.1 trillion yuan ($177.4 billion).

The suspension of policies encouraging the purchase of home appliances in rural areas dented consumer activity, Shen said. But he added that more favorable policies will boost consumption.