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China's retail sales up 15.2% in first two months

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-03-12 11:15

China's retail sales growth slowed to 15.2 percent in the first two months to hit 2 trillion yuan ($294 billion), the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Thursday.

Related readings:  China's 2008 retail sales up 21.6% but slow throughout 2H  China retail sales surpass 10 trillion yuan mark  Retail sales of consumer goods to exceed 10t yuan

The rate compared to 21.2 percent in January last year and 20.2 percent in February.

The growth rate has been slowing since it hit 23.3 percent in July last year.

The annual growth was 21.6 percent in 2008.

In January and February this year, urban sales of consumer goods expanded 14.4 percent to 1.35 trillion yuan, while sales in rural areas increased 17 percent to 653.9 billion yuan, according to the NBS.

Wholesale and retail sales rose 14.8 percent to 1.68 trillion yuan. Catering and hotel activity was up 18.9 percent to 301.6 billion yuan.