BEIJING — China's retail sales of consumer goods maintained steady growth in the first three quarters of 2019 by rising 8.2 percent year-on-year, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Oct 18.

Excluding sales of automobiles, the growth rate reached 9.1 percent during this period.

Retail sales in rural areas rose 9 percent, outpacing the 8-percent expansion in urban areas.

Smart household appliances and audio-video equipments by firms above a designated size reported a robust retail sales growth of 41.6 percent, indicating the acceleration of China's consumption upgrading.

Online sales continued to see fast expansion with a 16.8-percent year-on-year rise in the period, NBS data showed.

The national per capita consumption spending of households stood at 15,464 yuan (about $2,185), up 8.3 percent year-on-year. Among them, spending on services expanded 10.2 percent.