Online retail growth reflects changing consumption

China's online retail sales posted robust growth in the first quarter of the year, reflecting a changing consumption pattern, official data showed.

Online retail volumes reached over 1.4 trillion yuan ($203 billion) in the first three months, up 32.1 percent year-on-year and more than double the pace of total retail sales, the Ministry of Commerce said on Wednesday.

Online consumption of services such as tourism, dining and entertainment continued to rise, with sales of travel and take-away food rising by 64 percent and 163 percent, respectively.