NEW YORK — Macy’s is setting its sights on the Chinese shopper, with plans to test selling goods online in the world’s second-largest economy late this year.

The news, announced Wednesday, came as the retailer reported a 26 percent drop in second-quarter profit and a sales shortfall. The company cut its annual sales forecast and shares tumbled 5 percent Wednesday.

As part of the joint venture with Hong Kong-based Fung Retailing Ltd., Macy’s will begin selling merchandise on Alibaba Group’s Tmall Global, which connects Chinese shoppers with overseas retailers. It offered few details about what it will sell in China, but said that it hasn’t ruled out opening stores there as well.

It’s the latest measure taken by Macy’s to pump up sales in a tough retail environment and changing consumer preferences in the U.S. The results from Macy’s, the first major retailer to report quarterly numbers, raise further concerns about consumer spending. J.C. Penney, Kohl’s and Nordstrom will report their second-quarter results later this week.

Macy’s was hurt by some of the same factors that tripped up the retailer earlier in the year. A strong U.S. dollar has curtailed tourist spending in key locations like New York and Los Angeles. A West Coast port labor dispute added to those problems. Macy’s said Wednesday that planned markdowns in many departments were delayed to clear merchandise that arrived late.

But like other retailers, Macy’s, which has headquarters in Cincinnati and New York, also face long-term challenges. For one, its middle-class customers are not spending more in its stores despite an improving economy. They remain fixated on deals and they’re increasingly looking online. And the money they are spending is going elsewhere.

“The overall growth in the economy is modest at best and we are seeing customers gravitating to restaurants, recreational services, health care and electronics, rather than to traditional general merchandise,” Chief Financial Officer Karen Hoguet told investors in a call Wednesday.

Macy’s says it’s still optimistic about the second half of the year following a number of recent initiatives.