China says retail sales hit $93b during holiday

BEIJING (AFP) - China said retail sales surged 16.2 per cent year on year to 470 billion yuan (S$92.8 billion) during the week-long Lunar New Year holiday, as consumers splashed out on food, wine and clothes.

Hundreds of millions of people journey across the country during the holiday to celebrate with their families and consumer spending typically soars during the period.

The commerce ministry said sales of clothes, jewellery and food rose 18.7 per cent, 16.4 per cent and 16.2 per cent respectively, according to a statement posted on its website Saturday, the last day of the holiday.

The number of passenger trips on trains, planes, boats and buses was expected to reach 3.2 billion during the peak travel period from Jan 8 to Feb 16, up 9.1 per cent from last year. Authorities warned snow and rain in parts of southern and south-western China could disrupt road and rail links as millions of people returned to work in the major cities, the Global Times reported.