Chinese retail sales grew 12.9% in May 2013 compared to the same month a year ago, according to the data released by National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Retail sales stood at CNY1.89 trillion ($306.8bn) in May, as against a 12.8% rise in April 2013.
After adjusting for inflation, the real retail sales growth rate came in at 12.1% during the same period.
The agency noted that the retail sales growth is less than the expected 14.5% target for the full year.
The catering sector registered a 9.2% year-on-year rise in revenues, up from 7.9% gain recorded in April, while sales of other consumer products grew 13.3%.
