MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 1982
REPORT ON MONTHLY SURVEY OF RETAIL SALES
******
THE VALUE OF RETAIL SALES FOR THE RETAIL SECTOR IN MAY 1982 WAS ESTIMATED TO BE $3 955 MILLION, ACCORDING TO PROVISIONAL SURVEY RESULTS ISSUED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.
THE OVERALL RETAIL SALES VALUE INDEX FOR MAY 1982 WAS 116, BEING FIVE POINTS OR FIVE PER CENT HIGHER THAN THAT OF APRIL 1982 AND OF MAY 1981. THE OVERALL RETAIL SALES VOLUME INDEX FOR MAY 1982 WAS 97, BEING TWO POINTS OR TWO PER CENT HIGHER THAN THAT OF APRIL 1982 AND FOUR POINTS OR FOUR PER CENT LOWER THAN THAT OF MAY 1981.
COMPARED WITH APRIL 1982, INCREASES IN THE RETAIL SALES VALUE AND VOLUME INDEXES WERE RECORDED FOR NEARLY ALL MAJOR TRADE GROUPS AND SELECTED TRADES, EXCEPT FOR CONSUMER DURABLES AND MOTOR VEHICLES.
IN VALUE TERMS, CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS REGISTERED THE MOST SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN RETAIL SALES OF 13 PER CENT, FOLLOWED BY DEPARTMENT STORES AND SUPERMARKETS, EACH OF 11 PER CENT. IN VOLUME TERMS, DEPARTMENT STORES SHOWED THE MOST SIGNIFICANT INCREASE OF 12 PER CENT, FOLLOWED BY CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS OF 11 PER CENT, AND SUPERMARKETS OF NINE PER CENT.
ON THE OTHER HAND, WHILE THE RETAIL SALES OF CONSUMER DURABLES DECREASED BY THREE PER CENT IN VALUE TERMS AND FIVE PER CENT IN VOLUME TERMS, THOSE OF MOTOR VEHICLES DECLINED SIGNIFICANTLY BY 27 PER CENT AND 37 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY. THE SIGNIFICANT DROP IN THE RETAIL SALES OF MOTOR VEHICLES WAS PROBABLY DUE TO THE GOVERNMENT'S ANNOUNCEMENT OF INCREASES IN THE FIRST REGISTRATION AND ANNUAL LICENCE FEES FOR PRIVATE VEHICLES AND IN THE DUTY ON LIGHT OILS IN MAY 1982.
COMPARED WITH MAY 1981, THE RETAIL SALES VOLUME INDEXES FOR FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO, CONSUMER DURABLES AND MOTOR VEHICLES DECLINED WHILE THOSE FOR THE OTHER MAJOR TRADE GROUPS AND SELECTED TRADES INCREASED. THE RETAIL SALES OF SUPERMARKETS INCREASED BY 23 PER CENT IN VALUE TERMS AND NINE PER CENT IN VOLUME TERMS, AND THOSE OF FUELS ALSO INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY BY 18 PER CENT AND 11 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY. THE SHARPEST REDUCTION OCCURRED IN MOTOR VEHICLES WHERE THE RETAIL SALES VALUE INDEX WENT DOWN BY 33 POINTS OR 33 PER CENT AND THE VOLUME INDEX BY 40 POINTS OR 45 PER CENT.
/2