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Major retailers see Jan sales up 24.5%

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-02-16 10:57

Related readings:  China speeds up expansion of rural retail network  Food and retail giants cut prices to offset crisis  China's retail sales to remain robust in '09

Altogether 1,000 major Chinese retailers saw sales rise 24.5 percent year-on-year in January, the Ministry of Commerce spokesman Yao Jian said in Beijing on Monday.

The consumption of commercial products has been a major contribution to the rise in sales. The retail sales of food, cigarettes and alcohol, as well as jewelry rose 28.9 percent, 47.2 percent and 29.2 percent, respectively, over the same period last year, Yao said.

The sales of passenger cars, stimulated by reduced taxes, rose 4.4 percent in January, which represented a consecutive increase in two months. The total auto sales in January reached 735,500 units.

In addition, the consumption in tertiary industry, including culture, tourism, education, and telecommunications, saw a significant increase in January, particularly during the 7-day Spring Festival holidays that started from January 25.

"The increased spending in the tertiary industry reflected improved consumption structure as well as people's living conditions," Yao said.