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MONDAY, AUGUST 8, 1983
MONTHLY SURVEY OF RETAIL SALES FOR MAY
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THE VALUE OF RETAIL SALES FOR THE RETAIL TRADE SECTOR IN MAY 1983 WAS ESTIMATED TO BE $4 643 MILLION, ACCORDING TO THE PROVISIONAL SURVEY RESULTS RELEASED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY (MONDAY).
AT 137, THE OVERALL RETAIL SALES VALUE INDEX FOR MAY 1983 INCREASED BY 7 POINTS OR 5 PER CENT WHEN COMPARED WITH APRIL 1983, AND BY 15 POINTS OR 12 PER CENT WHEN COMPARED WITH MAY 1982.
THE OVERALL RETAIL SALES VOLUME INDEX FOR MAY 1983, AT 106, WAS 5 POINTS OR 5 PER CENT HIGHER THAN THAT FOR APRIL 1983, AND 4 POINTS OR 4 PER CENT HIGHER THAN THAT FOR MAY 1982.
COMPARED WITH APRIL 1983, RETAIL SALES OF CONSUMER DURABLES INCREASED BY 10 PER CENT IN VALUE TERMS, FOLLOWED BY CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS, OTHER CONSUMER GOODS AND FUELS, WITH INCREASES OF 6 PER CENT, 6 PER CENT AND 5 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY.
RETAIL SALES OF FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO ROSE BY 1 PER CENT.
IN VOLUME TERMS, RETAIL SALES OF CONSUMER DURABLES RECORDED THE LARGEST INCREASE OF 7 PER CENT, FOLLOWED BY FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO, AND OTHER CONSUMER GOODS, EACH OF 5 PER CENT, AND FUELS, AND CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS, EACH OF 4 PER CENT.
COMPARED WITH MAY 1982, RETAIL SALES OF CONSUMER DURABLES INCREASED BY 11 PER CENT IN VALUE TERMS OR 9 PER CENT IN VOLUME TERMS, AND THOSE OF FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO INCREASED BY 14 PER CENT IN VALUE TERMS OR 7 PER CENT IN VOLUME TERMS.
WHILE RETAIL SALES OF FUELS, CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS, AND OTHER CONSUMER GOODS WENT UP BY 16 PER CENT, 8 PER CENT AND 11 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY IN VALUE TERMS, THE IR CORRESPONDING INCREASES IN VOLUME TERMS WERE 3 PER CENT, 2 PER CENT AND 1 PER CENT.
ANALYSED BY SELECTED TRADES, RETAIL SALES OF MOTOR VEHICLES, HAVING BEEN STAGNANT FOR A LONG PERIOD, INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS WHEN COMPARED WITH APRIL 1983. SUPERMARKETS AND DEPARTMENT STORES ALSO SHOWED INCREASES IN BOTH THE VALUE AND VOLUME OF RETAIL SALES,
WHEN COMPARED WITH MAY 1982, SUPERMARKETS RECORDED INCREASES IN BOTH THE VALUE AND VOLUME OF SALES. WHILE DEPARTMENT STORES SHOWED AN INCREASE IN SALES VALUE, THERE WAS A MODERATE DECLINE IN SALES VOLUME. RETAIL SALES OF MOTOR VEHICLES DROPPED IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS.
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