China's catering market saw continued growth during the first four months of the year but at a slower pace, data from China Cuisine Association showed.

The income of China's catering industry increased to 1.39 trillion yuan (about 207.46 billion US dollars) from January to April, rising 9.3 percent year on year.

The income of China's catering industry accounted for 10.8 percent of the country's total retail sales during the four-month period, cementing its role as a key driver for China's consumer market.

In April, China's catering industry saw its revenues increase to 328.1 billion yuan, up 8.5 percent year on year. The growth rate was 1.1 percentage points lower than that in April 2018.

CCA predicted that the catering industry will grow steadily over the rest of the year, and continue to play an active role in promoting the healthy development of China's economy.

Thanks to booming online sales and cold-chain logistics technology, catering companies are expected to see new growth points, the association added.