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Compared with November 1994, but bearing in mind that this comparison may be affected by seasonal factors, total retail sales in December 1994 increased by 20% both in value and in volume.
For the year of 1994, sales of clothing and footwear registered significant increase by 26% in value and 16% in volume when compared with a year ago; and those of jewellery and watches by 13% in value and 6% in volume.
Moderate increases were recorded for sales in supermarkets (by 11% in value and 4% in volume); consumer durable goods (other than motor vehicles) (by 9% in value and 7% in volume); food, alcoholic drinks and tobacco (by 7% in value and 3% in volume); and department stores (by 7% in value and virtually no change in volume).
Sales of fuels recorded a decrease of 2% in volume, despite an increase of 3% in value. Sales of motor vehicles decreased by 4% in value and 11% 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 December 1994 results is now on sale at $3 a copy at the Government Publications Centre, Queensway Government Offices, Low Block, ground floor, 66 Queensway; and the Publications Section of the Census and Statistics Department, 19th floor, Wanchai Tower, Wan Chai.
Enquiries about the survey results may be directed to the Wholesale and Retail Trade Statistics Section of the Census and Statistics Department on telephone 2802 1258.
Table 1 presents the revised total retail sales figure, for November 1994 and the provisional figure for December 1994.
Table 2 shows the value and volume indices of retail sales in November and December 1994 for all retail outlets and by type of retail outlet, with average retail sales from October 1989 to September 1990 taken as 100. Comparisons of the December 1994 results with those for November 1994 and those for December 1993, as well as comparisons of retail sales in the period from January to December 1994 with the same period in 1993 are also given.
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