TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 1982
5
WHEN COMPARED WITH THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD IN 1981, THE OVERALL RETAIL SALES FOR JANUARY 1982 REMAINED THE SAME IN VALUE, BUT DECLINED BY NINE PER CENT IN VOLUME TERMS.
ANALYSED BY MAJOR TRADE GROUPS AND SELECTED TRADES, THE RETAIL SALES VALUE AND VOLUME INDEXES FOR FEBRUARY 1981 SHOWED DECREASES COMPARED WITH THOSE FOR THE PREVIOUS MONTH. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION WAS FOUND IN DEPARTMENT STORES WHERE THE RETAIL SALES VALUE INDEX DECLINED BY 52 POINTS OR 36 PER CENT AND THE RETAIL SALES VOLUME INDEX DECLINED BY 45 POINTS OR 33 PER CENT. THE DECREASE WAS LARGELY DUE TO TRADING DAY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO MONTHS. THE NUMBER OF DAYS SHOPS WERE OPEN FOR BUSINESS IN FEBRUARY 1981 WAS LESS THAN THAT IN JANUARY 1981. MANY RETAIL SHOPS WERE CLOSED FOR AN EXTENDED PER JOD IN FEBRUARY 1981, COMBINING THE STATUTORY HOLIDAYS WITH THE CHINESE NEW YEAR HOLIDAYS.
FOR FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO, CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS, MOTOR VEHICLES, DEPARTMENT STORES, AND SUPERMARKETS, THE VOLUME OF RETAIL SALES IN MARCH 1981 WAS EVEN LESS THAN THAT IN FEBRUARY 1981. THIS DROP IN THE VOLUME OF RETAIL SALES MIGHT BE EXPLAINED BY CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR AS PEOPLE TEND TO BUY LESS AFTER A MAJOR FESTIVAL.
BY CONTRAST, INCREASES IN THE VALUE AND VOLUME OF RETAIL SALES WERE RECORDED FOR ALL MAJOR TRADE GROUPS AND SELECTED TRADES IN DECEMBER 1981 WHEN COMPARED WITH THOSE OF THE PREVIOUS MONTH. DEPARTMENT STORES REGISTERED THE HIGHEST GROWTH IN RETAIL SALES, WITH THE VALUE INDEX UP BY 24 POINTS OR 18 PER CENT AND THE VOLUME INDEX UP BY 21 POINTS OR 18 PER CENT.
IN JANUARY 1982, THE RETAIL SALES VOLUME INDEXES FOR SUPERMARKETS, DEPARTMENT STORES AND FUELS ROSE BY 27 PER CENT, SIX PER CENT AND TWO PER CENT RESPECTIVELY WHEN COMPARED WITH THE CORRESPONDING MONTH IN 1981, WHILE THOSE FOR THE OTHER MAJOR TRADE GROUPS AND SELECTED TRADES DECLINED.
OVER THIS PERIOD, THE GREATEST REDUCTION IN THE VOLUME OF RETAIL SALES WAS FOUND IN MOTOR VEHICLES AND CONSUMER GOODS. THE IR RESPECTIVE RETAIL SALES VOLUME INDEXES WERE DOWN BY 53 POINTS OR 37 PER CENT AND BY 16 POINTS OR 13 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY.
IT SHOULD, HOWEVER, BE NOTED THAT THE CHINESE NEW YEAR IN 1982 FELL IN JANUARY, WHEREAS THAT IN 1981 FELL IN FEBRUARY.
THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT HAS COMPILED A REPORT ON THESE SURVEYS.
ENQUIRIES MAY BE DIRECTED TO THE WHOLESALE/RETAIL TRADE STATISTICS SECTION OF THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT, TEL. NO. 3-7216024.
/6