China's retail sales reached 711.7 billion yuan (US$94.5 billion) in August, up 17.1 percent over the same period last year, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday.

The retail sales volume totaled more than 5.6 trillion yuan (US$743.7 billion) from January to August, up 15.7 percent.

Retail sales volume of the accommodation and catering sectors rose 19.1 percent to 98.5 billion yuan (US$13.1 billion) and that of the wholesale and retail sectors were up 17.2 percent to 597.3 billion yuan (US$79.3 billion).

Sales of grain and oil rose by 44 percent and that of meat, poultry and eggs by 45.2 percent.

(Xinhua News Agency September 12, 2007)