BEIJING, May 15 (Xinhua) -- China's retail sales in April climbed 15.5 percent year-on-year, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Tuesday.

    Retail sales, the major measurement of consumer spending, reached 667.3 billion yuan (87 billion dollars) in April, 0.2 percent down from 668.6 billion yuan in March, said the NBS.

    From January through April, retail sales expanded by 15.1 percent over the previous year.

    The retail sales, an important indication of China's market move and consumers' sentiment, have been growing at an increasing speed over the past year.