Insight ReportCoronavirus Insights: China’s GDP Drops for the First Time in Decades; March Retail Sales Fall, but Pace of Decline Eases Coresight Research April 20, 2020 Reasons to ReadAs coronavirus lockdowns ease in China, we review a number of newly released economic metrics to consider the impacts of the outbreak and the shape of the recovery that is emerging: In the first quarter or 2020, GDP fell for the first time in decades—we look at the pace of decline. Retail sales continued to decline in March 2020—we review the sequential changes versus prior months and assess the changes in retail sales by sector, including food/grocery, apparel, beauty, electronics and home goods. We also look at the emerging shape of the recovery in China retail sales and consumer demand. Industrial production declined in March 2020—and we consider what that tells us about the likely shape of the economic recovery. Click here to view Coresight Research’s ongoing coverage of the coronavirus outbreak. Already a subscriber? Log in You are currently viewing a preview of this report. Please select an access option to view the full report. Hide Options - Show Options + Get unlimited access to all our research with one of our subscription plans. View Subscription Plans or Contact us to purchase this report. Contact us ✕ This document was generated for Other research you may be interested in: Three Data Points We’re Watching This Week, Week 27: US Retail Faces HeadwindsAnalyst Corner: What Happened with US and China Consumer Sentiment on the Eve of Expected Tariffs? with John MercerWeekly US Store Openings and Closures Tracker 2025, Week 16: 7-Eleven To Close 300+ Stores; Plus Updates on Drugstore ClosuresNRF 2025: Retail’s Big Show—Top 10 Tech Themes, from Computer Vision and RFID to AI-Powered Associate Devices