Empty shops, falling rents: commercial property takes a hit in China retail slump

China’s shop rents have fallen back to levels last seen in 2018 as weaker consumer spending weighs on the retail sector, according to the China Index Academy. In the second half of 2025, average rents across a sample of 100 major commercial streets in 15 key mainland cities dropped to 24 yuan (US$3.50) per square metre per day – the lowest since the second half of 2018 – the independent real estate research firm said in a report published on Monday. The pace of decline accelerated compared wi...

By Cao Li