China’s retail sales for the first two months of 2015 increased by 10.7 percent year-on-year to 4.8 trillion yuan (US$779 billion), the Chinese National Bureau of Statistics announced on Wednesday.

The Chinese Government combined the data for January and February in just one release due to potential distortions linked to the Chinese New Year holiday period, which traditionally marks a peak in consumption. This year’s Chinese New Year was celebrated on February 19, compared to a January 31 marking of the festival in 2014.

The January-February 2015 increase in retail sales marked however a slowdown from the 12-percent growth rate seen in full-year 2014. It was also the slowest increase on record at least since 2010.

Other economic data published on Wednesday by the Chinese National Bureau of Statistics included figures on industrial output and fixed-asset investment for the February-January period. Those numbers were below forecasts, state-run news agency Xinhua reported. Industrial output expanded by 6.8 percent in year-on-year terms, the slowest start since 2009.