XN000022-1983-03-02 — Page 9

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 1983

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THE CORRESPONDING DECREASES FOR CONSUMER DURABLES WERE TWO PER CENT AND ONE PER CENT RESPECTIVELY.

COMPARED WITH DECEMBER 1981, RETAIL SALES OF SUPERMARKETS INCREASED BY 19 PER CENT IN VALUE TERMS AND EIGHT PER CENT IN VOLUME TERMS WHILE THOSE OF DEPARTMENT STORES INCREASED BY 12 PER CENT AND FOUR PER CENT RESPECTIVELY.

THE VOLUME OF RETAIL SALES FOR THE OTHER MAJOR TRADE GROUPS AND SELECTED TRADES RECORDED DECREASES.

MOTOR VEHICLES SHOWED THE LARGEST REDUCTION OF 58 PER CENT IN VOLUME TERMS, FOLLOWED BY CONSUMER DURABLES OF 18 PER CENT. THE RESPECTIVE DECREASES IN THE VOLUME OF RETAIL SALES OF CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS, AND FUELS WERE EIGHT PER CENT AND FIVE PER CENT.

TWO STATISTICAL (ATTACHED) PRESENT THE REVISED FIGURES FOR NOVEMBER AND THE PROVISIONAL FIGURES FOR DECEMBER 1982 OF TOTAL RETAIL SALES, AND OF RETAIL SALES VALUE AND VOLUME INDEXES BY SELECTED TRADES AND MAJOR TRADE GROUPS.

THE AVERAGE MONTHLY RETAIL SALES IN 1980 ARE TAKEN AS 100.

COMPARISONS OF THE DECEMBER RESULTS WITH THOSE OF THE PRECEDING MONTH AND OF THE CORRESPONDING MONTH IN 1981 ARE ALSO GIVEN.

ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE SURVEY RESULTS MAY BE DIRECTED TO THE WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE STATISTICS SECTION OF THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT, TEL. NO. 3-7216024.

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