1st Ld-Writethru: China retail sales grow 10.1 pct in April

China's retail sales of consumer goods grew 10.1 percent year on year in April, compared with the 10.5-percent growth for March, official data showed Saturday.

In the first four months, retail sales were up 10.3 percent year on year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Urban consumers contributed the lion's share of the increase though rural consumer spending climbed faster than that by urbanites.

Online sales in the first four months rose 27.5 percent year on year, accounting for about 11.1 percent of gross retail sales.

Retail sales have contributed significantly to China's economic growth as the country shifts from an export-driven economy to a consumer society. Endi