The total volume of retail consumer goods was nearly 3.27 trillion yuan (about 395.02 billion US dollars) in the first three quarters this year, up 8.6 percent over the same period last year, according to a government report issued Friday.

The growth rate was similar to that in the same period of 2002.

The report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said third quarter retail sales increased by 9.7 percent, restoring to the level before the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and three percentage points higher than the previous quarter.

The urban market increased 9.8 percent, 3.4 percentage points higher than the rural market, said the report.

Sales volume of automobiles soared 77.5 percent, communication appliances went up 74 percent and sales of construction materials rose 46.6 percent.

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