Garment Market Growth Slows Down in 2009

According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, during January to February, 2009, retail sales of apparel related consumer goods in China were up 17.4 a nearly 7% decline over the same period last year; and clothing related consumer price index fell by 2.5% over the same period last year. In February, sales quantity and sales in large-scale shopping malls were down 29.95% and 25.46% respectively on a year-on-year basis. It is expected that without strong external stimuli and economic recovery towards the consumer of apparel in the first half of this year (especially urban clothing consumption), the depressed state of market demand will be continued.