THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 1993
PROVISIONAL RESULTS OF RETAIL SALES SURVEY FOR JANUARY
* * * * *
THE VALUE OF TOTAL RETAIL SALES IN JANUARY, ESTIMATED AT $15.8 BILLION, INCREASED BY 11% WHEN COMPARED WITH THAT IN JANUARY LAST YEAR, ACCORDING TO THE STATISTICS RELEASED TODAY (THURSDAY) BY THE
CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.
AFTER DISCOUNTING THE EFFECT OF PRICE CHANGES OVER THE PERIOD, TOTAL RETAIL SALES ROSE BY 5% IN VOLUME.
STRONG GROWTH WAS RECORDED FOR THE SPENDING ON CLOTHING AND OOTWEAR, AND SALES IN SUPERMARKETS AND DEPARTMENT STORES. THIS WAS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE INCREASED CONSUMER SPENDIING BEFORE THE LUNAR NEW
YEAR FESTIVAL.
IN
SALES OF CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR REGISTERED THE LARGEST INCREASE IN JANUARY 1993 COMPARED WITH A YEAR AGO, BY 33% IN VALUE AND 23% VOLUME.
SALES IN SUPERMARKETS ROSE SUBSTANTIALLY BY 28% IN VALUE AND 20% IN VOLUME; WHEREAS SALES IN DEPARTMENT STORES WENT UP BY 16% IN VALUE AND 8% IN VOLUME. THE SALES OF CONSUMER DURABLES OTHER THAN MOTOR VEHICLES ALSO WENT UP BY 20% IN VALUE AND 18% IN VOLUME.
AND
MODERATE INCREASES WERE RECORDED FOR SALES OF JEWELLERY WATCHES, BY 10% IN VALUE AND 11% IN VOLUME; AND SALES OF FUELS, BY 6% IN VALUE AND 3% IN VOLUME.
ON THE OTHER HAND, SALES OF OTHER FOODSTUFFS DROPPED BY 5% IN VOLUME,
DESPITE AN INCREASE IN VALUE BY 4%. SALES OF MOTOR VEHICLES REGISTERED A CONSIDERABLE DECREASE OF 16% IN VALUE AND 20% IN VOLUME, AFTER HAVING RISEN SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE PAST YEAR.
COMPARED WITH DECEMBER 1992, AND BEARING IN MIND THAT THIS COMPARISON MAY BE AFFECTED BY SEASONAL FACTORS, TOTAL RETAIL SALES IN JANUARY 1993 INCREASED BY 1% BOTH IN VALUE AND IN VOLUME.
THE VOLUME OF RETAIL SALES IS DERIVED FROM THE VALUE OF RETAIL SALES AFTER ADJUSTING FOR PRICE CHANGES. THE RELEVANT COMPONENTS OF THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX ARE USED AS DEFLATORS.
THE REPORT CONTAINING THE ANALYSIS OF THE JANUARY 1993 RESULTS IS NOW ON SALE AT $2 PER COPY AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING, CONNAUGHT PLACE, CENTRAL; AND THE PUBLICATIONS SECTION OF THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT, 19TH FLOOR, WANCHAT TOWER, WAN CHAI.
ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE SURVEY RESULTS MAY WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE STATISTICS SECTION STATISTICS DEPARTMENT (TEL: 802 1258).
BE DIRECTED ΤΟ THE OF THE CENSUS AND
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