Retail sales surge during Spring Festival

Beijing retail sales rose 8.2 percent year-on-year to 1.06 billion yuan ($168.45 million) during the Spring Festival, the China Chain Store and Franchise Association said on Sunday.

Outside the capital, the country's retail sales were also greatly boosted by the holiday shopping spree, the Ministry of Commerce said.

The revenue of shops and restaurants across the country hit 539 billion yuan last week, a year-on-year increase of 14.7 percent. Food sales were up 9.8 percent, jewelry sales surged 38.1 percent and garment sales rose 6.3 percent, the ministry said.