XN000022-1982-10-04 — Page 3

MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1982

MONTHLY SURVEY OF JUNE RETAIL SALES

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THE VALUE OF RETAIL SALES FOR THE RETAIL SECTOR IN JUNE THIS YEAR WAS ESTIMATED TO BE $4 075 MILLION, ACCORDING TO PROVISIONAL SURVEY RESULTS PROVIDED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY.

THE OVERALL RETAIL SALES VALUE INDEX FOR JUNE 1982 STOOD AT 120 AND THE RETAIL SALES VOLUME INDEX AT 100, EACH BEING ONE POINT OR ONE PER CENT LOWER THAN MAY 1982. COMPARED WITH JUNE 1981, THE OVERALL RETAIL SALES VALUE INDEX WENT UP BY FIVE POINTS OR FOUR PER CENT BUT THE VOLUME INDEX FELL FOUR POINTS OR FOUR PER CENT, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID.

THE RETAIL SALES VALUE AND VOLUME INDEXES FOR MOST MAJOR TRADE GROUPS AND SELECTED TRADES REMAINED RELATIVELY STABLE COMPARED WITH THOSE IN MAY 1982.

WHILE RETAIL SALES OF CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS DECREASED BY FIVE PER CENT IN VALUE TERMS AND SIX PER CENT IN VOLUME TERMS, THOSE OF DEPARTMENT STORES DECLINED BY SIX PER CENT IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS.

RETAIL SALES OF MOTOR VEHICLES INCREASED BY TWO PER CENT IN VALUE TERMS BUT REMAINED UNCHANGED IN VOLUME TERMS.

COMPARED WITH JUNE 1981, THE RETAIL SALES OF SUPERMARKETS INCREASED BY 24 PER CENT IN VALUE TERMS AND 15 PER CENT IN VOLUME TERMS, THOSE OF FUELS BY 22 PER CENT AND 13 PER CENT AND DEPARTMENT STORES BY 10 PER CENT AND TWO PER CENT RESPECTIVELY.

ON THE OTHER HAND, THE RETAIL SALES OF MOTOR VEHICLES WENT DOWN BY 38 PER CENT IN VALUE TERMS AND 49 PER CENT IN VOLUME TERMS, PROBABLY AS A RESULT OF THE INCREASES IN THE DUTY ON LIGHT OILS, IN THE FIRST REGISTRATION TAX AND IN THE ANNUAL LICENCE FEE FOR PRIVATE VEHICLES IN MAY THIS YEAR.

THE RETAIL SALES VALUE AND VOLUME INDEXES OF CONSUMER DURABLES ALSO DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY BY 10 PER CENT AND 15 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY.

TABLES ONE AND TWO, ATTACHED, PRESENT THE REVISED FIGURES FOR MAY AND PROVISIONAL FIGURES FOR JUNE 1982 OF TOTAL RETAIL SALES, AND THE RETAIL SALES VALUE AND VOLUME INDEXES BY SELECTED TRADES AND MAJOR TRADE GROUPS, WITH THE AVERAGE MONTHLY RETAIL SALES IN 1980 TAKEN AS 100. COMPARISONS OF THE JUNE RESULTS WITH THOSE OF THE PRECEDING MONTH AND OF THE CORRESPONDING MONTH IN 1981 ARE ALSO GIVEN.

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