Beijing's Retail Sales Up 12.6% In Q1 2009

According to Beijing Statistics Bureau, as a result of stimulation by a series of domestic demand expanding and consumption promoting measures, Beijing's retail sales in the first quarter of 2009 reached CNY122.12 billion, an increase of 12.6% compared with the same period of last year.

Yu Xiuqin, spokesperson of the Beijing Statistics Bureau, told local media that due to the global financial crisis, the total value of Beijing's exports in the first three months of 2009 decreased by 35.4% year-on-year to USD40.44 billion. To maintain its economic growth and to convert the negative effects into development power, Beijing focused more on expanding domestic demand.

During the period, Beijing's retail sales of food were CNY32.77 billion, a year-on-year increase of 12%; retail sales of clothing were CNY11.7 billion, a year-on-year increase of 10.3%; and retail sales of commodities were CNY70.65 billion, a year-on-year increase of 18%.

In addition, automobile sales were a highlight of the market of Beijing. In the first quarter of 2009, retail sales of automobiles reached CNY29.4 billion, an increase of 17.6% year-on-year, and the automobile market contributed 4.1 percentage points to the retail sales growth of Beijing. A total of 246,000 motor vehicles were sold in the period, an increase of 16% compared with the same period in 2008.