THURSDAY, MAY 19, 1983
5
RETAIL SALES OF MOTOR VEHICLES SHOWED THE LARGEST REDUCTION OF 20 PER CENT IN VALUE TERMS OR 22 PER CENT IN VOLUME TERMS.
THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS, AND CONSUMER DURABLES WITH DECREASES OF 16 PER CENT AND 13 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY IN VALUE TERMS, OR DECREASES OF 14 PER CENT AND 13 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY IN VOLUME TERMS.
RETAIL SALES OF FUELS, CONSUMER GOODS AND DEPARTMENT STORES DECREASED BY 12 PER CENT EACH IN VALUE TERMS AND THEIR CORRESPONDING DECREASES IN VOLUME TERMS WERE 14 PER CENT, 13 PER CENT AND 14 PER CENT.
IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT DECREASES IN RETAIL SALES IN FEBRUARY 1983 WHEN COMPARED WITH JANUARY 1983 WERE LARGELY DUE TO TRADING DAY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO MONTHS. MANY RETAIL OUTLETS WERE CLOSED FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD IN FEBRUARY 1983, COMBINING THE CHINESE NEW YEAR HOLIDAYS WITH STATUTORY ANNUAL LEAVE.
COMPARED WITH FEBRUARY 1982, SUPERMARKETS HAD THE LARGEST INCREASE IN RETAIL SALES OF 100 PER CENT IN VALUE TERMS OR 87 PER CENT IN VOLUME TERMS. THIS INCREASE WAS LARGELY DUE TO CONSUMER PURCHASES FOR THE NEW YEAR.
RETAIL SALES OF CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS AND DEPARTMENT STORES INCREASED BY 59 PER CENT AND 55 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY IN VALUE TERMS THEIR CORRESPONDING INCREASES IN VOLUME TERMS WERE 49 PER CENT AND 43 PER CENT. THOSE OF FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO SHOWED INCREASES OF 39 PER CENT IN VALUE TERMS AND 27 PER CENT IN VOLUME TERMS.
ON THE OTHER HAND, RETAIL SALES OF MOTOR VEHICLES AND CONSUMER DURABLES DROPPED BY 53 PER CENT AND 15 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY IN VALUE TERMS: THEY ALSO SHOWED DECREASES OF 62 PER CENT AND 17 PER CENT IN VOLUME TERMS. RETAIL SALES OF FUELS ROSE BY FIVE PER CENT IN VALUE TERMS BUT FELL BY EIGHT PER CENT IN VOLUME TERMS.
TABLES 1 AND 2 PRESENT THE REVISED FIGURES FOR JANUARY 1983 AND THE PROVISIONAL FIGURES FOR FEBRUARY 1983 OF TOTAL RETAIL SALES, AND OF RETAIL SALES VALUE AND VOLUME INDEXES BY SELECTED TRADES AND MAJOR TRADE GROUPS.
THE AVERAGE MONTHLY SALES IN 1980 ARE TAKEN AS 100. COMPARISONS OF THE FEBRUARY RESULTS WITH THOSE OF THE PRECEDING MONTH AND OF THE CORRESPONDING MONTH IN 1982 ARE ALSO GIVEN.
ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE SURVEY RESULTS MAY BE DIRECTED TO THE WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE STATISTICS SECTION OF THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT, TEL. NO. 3-7216024,
TABLE 1: