Year-on-year spending up sharply in China

China's consumption registered robust growth during the five-day May Day holiday that ended Wednesday, according to data released by the Ministry of Commerce, or MOC.

Sales figures from key retail and catering enterprises nationwide monitored by MOC jumped by 18.9 percent year-on-year during the holiday, the ministry said on Wednesday.

In the meantime, pedestrian traffic grew by 121.4 percent compared to the same period last year.

And there was also an 87.6 percent year-on-year increase in turnover, the MOC said.

Sales of petroleum products and automobiles were up by 24.4 percent and 20.9 percent, respectively, during the past year. And sales of home appliances expanded by 13.9 percent, according to the MOC.

Sales of gold, silver and jewelry, clothing, cosmetics, tobacco and alcohol surged by 22.8 percent, 18.4 percent, 16.5 percent and 15.1 percent year-on-year respectively, and sales of communication equipment rose by 20.1 percent.