3. Retail sales of consumer goods continued to increase steadily.

In October, the total retail sales of consumer goods reached 1,171.8 billion yuan, a year-on-year rise of 16.2 percent, which was 5.8 percentage points lower than that in October, 2008, or 0.7 percentage point higher than that in the previous month of this year. In the first ten months of this year, the total retail sales of consumer goods were 10,139.4 billion yuan, a year-on-year growth of 15.3 percent, or down by 6.7 percentage points over that in the same period of last year. It was 0.2 percentage point higher over that in the first nine months of this year.

Analyzed by different areas, the retail sales in cities reached 796.8 billion yuan in October, up by 16.6 percent, and the retail sales at and below county level stood at 375.0 billion yuan, up by 15.4 percent.

Grouped by different sectors, in October, the sales by wholesale and retail businesses reached 982.0 billion yuan, up by 16.8 percent, that by lodging and catering industry was 169.6 billion yuan, up by 15.1 percent, others 20.2 billion yuan, up 1.8 percent.

Grouped by commodity categories, the sales of grain and oil went up by 20.7 percent; meat, poultry and eggs up by 9.2 percent; clothing, up 22.7 percent; articles for daily use, up 23.5 percent; household appliances, music and video equipment, up 35.4 percent; motor vehicles, up 43.6 percent; petroleum and products, up 10.2 percent; building and decoration materials, up 26.2 percent.

4. The decrement rate of consumer prices (year-on-year change) continued to reduce.

In October, the consumer price index went down by 0.5 percent year-on-year (it was 4.0 percent growth in October 2008), or the decrement rate narrowed by 0.3 percentage point over that in the previous month. In October, the price dropped by 0.7 percent in cities and 0.1 percent in rural areas year-on-year. The food price went up by 1.6 percent while the non-food price dropped by 1.6 percent. The prices of consumer goods went down by 0.3 percent, and the prices of services down by 1.2 percent. In the first ten months, the year-on-year change of consumer price was down by 1.1 percent (it was 6.7 percent growth the same period a year ago), or maintained the same level over that in the first nine months of this year. Grouped by commodity categories, in October, of the eight categories of commodities, three of them experienced prices rise and the rest five witnessed prices decline. Of which, prices for food up by 1.6 percent, prices for tobacco, liquor and articles up by 1.3 percent, price for clothing went down by 1.6 percent, prices for household facilities, articles and maintenance services down by 1.2 percent, health care and personal articles up by 1.2 percent; transportation and communication down by 2.7 percent, recreation, education, culture articles and services down by 0.7 percent, and housing down by 3.8 percent.

In October this year, month-on-month change of consumer price was down by 0.1 percent. Of which, price in cities went down by 0.1 percent and that in rural areas went down by 0.1 percent. The food price dropped by 0.8 percent while the non-food price up by 0.3 percent. The price of consumer goods declined by 0.2 percent, and the price of services up by 0.3 percent. Grouped by commodity categories, in October, prices for food down by 0.8 percent month-on-month, prices for tobacco, liquor and articles up by 0.1 percent, price for clothing went up by 0.8 percent, prices for household facilities, articles and maintenance services down by 0.1 percent, health care and personal articles up by 0.2 percent; transportation and communication down by 0.2 percent, recreation, education, culture articles and services up by 0.5 percent, and housing up by 0.4 percent.

5. The decrement of producers’ prices for manufactured goods (year-on-year change) further narrowed down.

In October, the producers’ prices for manufactured goods went down by 5.8 percent year-on-year (it was 6.6 percent growth in October 2008), or the decrement rate was 1.2 percentage points less that in the previous month. In the first tent months of this year, the year-on-year change of the producers’ price for manufactured good was down by 6.4 percent (it was up 8.2 percent the same period a year ago), which was 0.1 percentage point lower over that in the first nine months of this year. The producers’ prices for means of production went down by 7.2 percent year-on-year in October, of which that for mining and quarrying industry down by 16.3 percent, raw materials industry down 8.3 percent and processing industry down by 5.6 percent. The producers’ prices for means of livelihood dropped by 1.4 percent, of which, the food prices down by 1.2 percent, clothing down by 0.8 percent, articles for daily use down by 1.5 percent and durable consumer goods down by 2.1 percent. In October, the month-on-month change of the producers’ prices for manufactured good went up by 0.1 percent.

In October, the purchaser’s prices for raw materials, fuel and power decreased by 8.4 percent year-on-year (it was up 11.0 percent in October 2008), the decrement was 1.7 percentage points less over that in the previous month. In the first ten months of this year, the purchaser’s prices for raw materials, fuel and power decreased by 9.4 percent year-on-year (it was up 12.2 percent in the same period of last year), or 0.1 percentage point lower than that in the first nine months of this year. In October, the year-on-year change of prices for nonferrous metals, fuel and power, ferrous metals and raw chemical materials and wire went down by 10.1 percent, 12.5 percent, 15.9 percent and 9.6 percent respectively.