BEIJING – Official data on Wednesday showed that China’s consumer goods retail sales grew steadily in the first quarter of this year, and online sales continued to be strong.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the consumption index rose 8.3% year-on-year between January and March, up from 8.2% in the previous two months.
After deducting the price factor, the indicator actually increased by 6.9%.
In March alone, retail sales increased by 8.7%.
Data on Wednesday also showed that consumption in rural areas increased by 9.2%, exceeding the 8.2% increase in urban areas. The revenue of the restaurant industry increased by 9.6%.
Online retail sales maintained strong growth, with a 15.3% increase in the first three months and a 21% increase in physical goods sales over the same period last year.
With the increasingly prosperous market of nearly 1.4 billion people, China is striving to make consumption the main driver of economic growth.
