China retail, catering sales surge in holiday

BEIJING - China's retail and catering industries saw a surge in sales during the just-finished eight-day national holiday, driven by demand for jewelry, clothes, home appliances and banquets, new data has revealed.

The combined sales of major retail and catering enterprises in the country rose 15 percent to 800.6 billion yuan (126.3 billion US dollars) during the September 30-October 7 holiday period compared with last year's equivalent period, according to statistics released on Monday by the Ministry of Commerce (MOC).

The growth was slightly slower than the 17.5 percent year-on-year increase recorded in the corresponding period of last year, the MOC figures showed.

Buyers mainly targeted gold and silver jewelry, clothes, digital products and home appliances, while wedding and family banquets boosted catering sales, the MOC said in a statement.

The prices of daily necessities in 36 major cities were stable during the holiday due to abundant supply, it added.

China's week-long National Day Holiday is dubbed "Golden Week" for domestic consumption. This year's holiday bridged the Mid-Autumn Festival and the National Day Holiday and lasted longer than usual.