XN000022-1983-05-01 — Page 2

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SUNDAY, MAY 1, 1983

JANUARY

SURVEY OF RETAIL SALES FOR JANUARY

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THE VALUE OF RETAIL SALES FOR THE RETAIL TRADE SECTOR IN JANUARY 1983 WAS ESTIMATED TO BE $4 617 MILLION, ACCORDING TO PROVISIONAL SURVEY RESULTS RELEASED TODAY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

AT 136, THE OVERALL RETAIL SALES VALUE INDEX FOR JANUARY 1983 DECREASED BY 4 POINTS OR 3 PER CENT WHEN COMPARED WITH DECEMBER 1982, AND BY 7 POINTS OR 5 PER CENT WHEN COMPARED WITH JANUARY 1982.

THE OVERALL RETAIL SALES VOLUME INDEX FOR JANUARY 1983, AT 109, WAS 3 POINTS OR 3 PER CENT LOWER THAN THAT FOR DECEMBER 1982, AND 14 POINTS OR 11 PER CENT LOWER THAN THAT FOR JANUARY 1982.

COMPARED WITH DECEMBER 1982, RETAIL SALES OF MOTOR VEHICLES, HAVING BEEN STAGNANT FOR A LONG TIME, INCREASED BY 18 PER CENT IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS.

RETAIL SALES OF FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO INCREASED BY 4 PER CENT IN VALUÉ TERMS OR 7 PER CENT IN VOLUME TERMS.

RETAIL SALES OF CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS, AND OF CONSUMER DURABLES ALSO INCREASED BY 3 PER CENT AND 4 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY IN VALUE TERMS: THEIR CORRESPONDING INCREASES IN VOLUME TERMS WERE 4 PER CENT AND 2 PER CENT.

ON THE OTHER HAND, RETAIL SALES OF CONSUMER GOODS, DEPARTMENT STORES, AND FUELS EACH DECREASED BY 10 PER CENT, 6 PER CENT AND 4 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUMÉ TERMS.

ALTHOUGH THE VALUE OF RETAIL SALES OF SUPERMARKETS REMAINED UNCHANGED, THE IR VOLUME DECREASED BY 1 PER CENT.

COMPARED WITH JANUARY 1982, RETAIL SALES OF FUELS ROSE BY 10 PER CENT IN VALUE TERMS, BUT DECLINED BY 1 PER CENT IN VOLUME TERMS, WHILE THOSE OF FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO INCREASED BY 1 PER CENT IN VALUE TERMS BUT DECREASED BY 6 PER CENT IN VOLUME TERMS.

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

IN VALUE TERMS, MOTOR VEHICLES SHOWED THE SHARPEST REDUCTION OF 41 PER CENT, FOLLOWED BY CONSUMER DURABLES OF 19 PER CENT, AND CONSUMER GOODS AND SUPERMARKETS, EACH OF 6 PER CENT. THE IR RESPECTIVE DECREASES IN VOLUME TERMS WERE 51 PER CENT, 22 PER CENT, 13 PER CENT AND 12 PER CENT.

RETAIL SALES OF DEPARTMENT STORES AND OF CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS ALSO WENT DOWN BY 2 PER CENT AND 1 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY IN VALUE TERMS, BUT IN VOLUME TERMS THEY SHOWED DECLINES OF 10 PER CENT AND 8 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY,

HOWEVER, IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT LUNAR NEW YEAR IN 1983 FELL IN FEBRUARY, WHEREAS IN 1982 IT FELL IN JANUARY.

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