China General Chamber of Commerce and China National Commercial Information Center announced on Sunday in Beijing that total retail sales of consumer goods in China topped 5 trillion yuan in 2004 to reach 539.5 billion yuan - a growth of record high in eight years.

An official with the China General Chamber of Commerce said this was not just a change in numbers. Rather it marked symbolic changes. First it means that the development of China's consumer goods market has entered a phase of a higher level. Second is that the pulling effect of consumer goods market growth on that of national economy has strengthened.

As learned domestic consumer goods market continued to maintain a steady, rapid and upward growth trend. The total volume of consumer goods retail sales grew by 13.3 percent.

By People's Daily Online