The Tianjin Municipal Bureau of Statistics reported that retail sales of consumer goods in the first three quarters of 2010 totaled 214.501 billion yuan, up 19.3 percent year-on-year, to take a lead position in China consumer sales.

During the first three quarters, consumer demand for automobile, clothing, entertainment, communications and transportation stimulated growth. Retail sales of automobiles increased by 43.6 percent, home appliances by 30.9 percent, and gasoline by 51.2 percent during the period, the bureau reported.

Per capita consumption spent by urban residents increased by 10.9 percent to 11,926 yuan. During the period, spending on food increased 9.8 percent, spending on clothing increased 15 percent, and transportation and communications expenditures increased 23.3 percent.

Because of preferential policies such as the Car Subsidy Program for Rural Areas, a continued increase in spending on automobiles was reported. At the end of September, there were 15.5 cars for every 100 residents – an increase of 40.3 percent compared to the same period last year. Per capita spending on entertainment for the first three quarters jumped 30.7 percent to 433 yuan due to an increase in household spending on tourism and leisure.