China's retail sales up 13.1% in 2013

December's sales grew 13.6 percent from a year earlier, according to the bureau.

In 2013, the retail sales of consumer goods in cities gained 12.9 percent from the previous year, to 20.25 trillion yuan, and in rural areas, they went up 14.6 percent, to 3.19 trillion yuan, the bureau said.

In terms of consumption pattern, revenue for the catering industry in 2013 reached 2.54 trillion yuan, up 9 percent year-on-year; retail sales of commodities went up 13.6 percent year-on-year, to 20.9 trillion yuan.