Another obvious trend in the Chinese retail market is that companies are focusing on the integration of e-commerce and brick-and-mortar stores. The total value of online retailing in China will exceed 2 trillion yuan ($324.43 billion) by the end of 2015 from 1.32 trillion yuan in 2012, the report said.

The Chinese are getting gradually used to an online shopping experience using their mobile phones, and mobile applications will become more popular and have a greater influence on physical stores, the report added.

It also said that the relationship between the retail industry and the capital markets will continue to be close. Business-to-consumer online retailing is attracting the attention of venture capital firms, and initial public offerings are expected to become the optimal option for leading retailers wanting to expand.