Retail sales in this national capital of China saw a 9.5 percent increase in 2002, or an 11.3 percent increase after adjusting for price factors, according to an annual report by the city's statistical bureau.
Last year, local retailers sold goods worth 174.48 billion yuan (US$21.06 billion). Sales of housing amounted to 39.29 billion yuan (US$4.73 billion), up 41.8 percent year-on-year; and sales of motor vehicles totaled 260,000 units, up 13.7 percent.
In the year, 120,000 cars were sold in this metropolis, an increase of 20 percent over last year. Of these cars, more than 75 percent were bought by individuals.
(Xinhua News Agency February 6, 2003)
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