China's factory output and retail sales growth slowed sharply and missed expectations in July, as new COVID-19 outbreaks and floods disrupted business operations, adding to signs the economic recovery is losing momentum.

Over the past year, rates have fallen for container shipping from China (according to the Drewry World Container Index). Pricing has approached pre-crises levels. Will this trend be reflected in retail business, and what issues are transport operators concerned with? Retail.ru took these questions to key players on the market.