THURSDAY, JULY 31, 1986
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RETAIL SALES SURVEY RESULTS FOR MAY RELEASED
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THE VALUE OF TOTAL RETAIL SALES IN MAY 1986, PROVISIONALLY ESTIMATED, AT $5 745 MILLION, WAS 3 PER CENT HIGHER THAN IN MAY 1985 WHICH THE IR VOLUME REMAINED ALMOST UNCHANGED, ACCORDING TO THE PROVISIONAL RESULTS OF A SURVEY RELEASED TODAY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.
COMPARED WITH MAY 1985, RETAIL SALES OF CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS INCREASED BY 18 PER CENT IN VALUE AND 9 PER CENT IN VOLUME. FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOL IC DRINKS AND TOBACCO WENT UP BY 5 PER CENT IN BOTH SALES VALUE AND VOLUME.
FUELS DROPPED BY 15 PER CENT IN SALES VALUE BUT REMAINED ALMOST UNCHANGED IN SALES VOLUME. RETAIL SALES OF +OTHER CONSUMER GOODS+ ROSE BY 3 PER CENT IN VALUE BUT RECORDED ALMOST NO CHANGE
IN VOLUME WHILE THOSE OF CONSUMER DURABLES SHOWED DECREASES OF 1 PER CENT AND 9 PER CENT IN VALUE AND VOLUME RESPECTIVELY.
ANALYSED BY SELECTED TRADES, THE SALES VALUE OF MOTOR VEHICLES AND PARTS INCREASED SLIGHTLY WHILE THAT OF CONSUMER DURABLES, OTHER THAN MOTOR VEHICLES AND PARTS, DECREASED SLIGHTLY, BOTH SHOWED A MODERATE DECREASE IN SALES VOLUME.
DEPARTMENT STORES RECORDED A SLIGHT INCREASE IN SALES VALUE BUT A SLIGHT DROP IN SALES VOLUME WHILE SUPERMARKETS EXPERIENCED SLIGHT FALLS IN BOTH SALES VALUE AND VOLUME.
COMPARING THE THREE-MONTH PERIOD MARCH-MAY 1986 WITH THE SAME PERIOD 12, MONTHS PREVIOUSLY, TOTAL RETAIL SALES RECORDED AN INCREASE OF 3 PER CENT IN VALUE BUT A NEGLIGIBLE CHANGE IN VOLUME.
RETAIL SALES OF CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS REGISTERED INCREASES OF 15 PER CENT IN VALUE AND 7 PER CENT IN VOLUME. FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO ROSE BY 4 PER CENT IN BOTH SALES VALUE AND VOLUME.
ON THE OTHER HAND, RETAIL SALES OF CONSUMER DURABLES AND OF +OTHER CONSUMER GOODS+ WENT UP BY 2 PER CENT AND 3 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY IN VALUE BUT FELL BY 5 PER CENT AND 1 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY IN VOLUME.
FUEL'S SHOWED A DECREASE OF 9 PER CENT IN SALES VALUE BUT ALMOST NO CHANGE IN SALES VOLUME.
RETAIL SALES OF MOTOR VEHICLES AND PARTS RECORDED A MODERATE INCREASE IN VALUE BUT A MODERATE DROP IN VOLUME. SUPERMARKETS EXPERIENCED MODERATE INCREASES IN BOTH SALES VALUE AND VOLUME.
CONSUMER DURABLES, OTHER THAN MOTOR VEHICLES AND PARTS RECORDED ALMOST NO CHANGE IN SALES VALUE WHILE DEPARTMENT STORES HAD A SLIGHT INCREASE IN SALES VALUE. HOWEVER, THEY BOTH EXPERIENCED A SLIGHT DECREASE IN SALES VOLUME.
WHEN COMPARED