XN000022-1983-11-30 — Page 2

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1983

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SEPTEMBER SURVEY OF RETAIL SALES

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THE VALUE OF RETAIL SALES FOR THE RETAIL TRADE SECTOR IN SEPTEMBER 1983 WAS ESTIMATED TO BE $4 915 MILLION, ACCORDING TO THE PROVISIONAL SURVEY RESULTS PUBLISHED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

AT 145, THE OVERALL RETAIL SALES VALUE INDEX INCREASED BY 5 POINTS OR PER CENT WHEN COMPARED WITH AUGUST 1983, AND BY 18 POINTS OR 14 PER CENT WHEN COMPARED WITH SEPTEMBER 1982.

THE OVERALL RETAIL SALES VOLUME INDEX, AT 107, WAS ONE POINT OR ONE PER CENT HIGHER THAN THAT FOR AUGUST 1983, AND 4 POINTS OR 4 PER CENT HIGHER THAN THAT FOR SEPTEMBER 1982.

COMPARED WITH AUGUST 1983, RETAIL SALES OF FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO INCREASED BY 10 PER CENT IN VÄLUE TERMS, WHILE THOSE OF CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS, AND CONSUMER DURABLES EACH INCREASED BY TWO PER CENT, AND OTHER CONSUMER GOODS BY ONE PER CENT. RETAIL SALES OF FUELS REMAINED UNCHANGED IN VALUE TERMS.

IN VOLUME TERMS, RETAIL SALES OF FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO ROSE BY 5 PER CENT, WHILE THOSE OF CONSUMER DURABLES AND OTHER CONSUMER GOODS WERE RELATIVELY STABLE. THE VOLUME OF RETAIL SALES OF FUELS AND CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS, HOWEVER, WENT DOWN BY TWO PER CENT AND ONE PER CENT RESPECTIVELY.

COMPARED WITH SEPTEMBER 1982, RETAIL SALES OF FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO ROSE BY 21 PER CENT IN VALUE TERMS. THOSE OF FUELS BY 20 PER CENT, CONSUMER DURABLES BY 14 PER CENT, AND CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS, AND OTHER CONSUMER GOODS EACH BY 10 PER CENT. IN TERMS OF VOLUME OF SALES, FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 8 PER CENT, FOLLOWED BY CONSUMER DURABLES (7%), FUELS, AND CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS (EACH OF 3%), AND OTHER CONSUMER GOODS (1%).

ANALYSED BY SELECTED TRADES, RETAIL SALES OF SUPERMARKETS INCREASED BY 20 PER CENT AND 18 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY IN VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS WHEN COMPARED WITH AUGUST 1983.

RETAIL SALES OF MOTOR VEHICLES, HAVING BEEN STAGNANT FOR A LONG PERIOD, ALSO SHOWED SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN BOTH THE VALUE AND VOLUME OF SALES. COMPARED WITH SEPTEMBER 1982, RETAIL SALES OF SUPERMARKETS INCREASED BY 51 PER CENT IN TERMS OF VALUE AND 33 PER CENT IN TERMS OF VOLUME.

DEPARTMENT STORES RECORDED A LARGE INCREASE IN SALES VALUE BUT ONLY A SLIGHT RISE IN SALES VOLUME. RETAIL SALES OF MOTOR VEHICLES DROPPED IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS.

TABLES 1 AND 2 PRESENT THE REVISED FIGURES FOR AUGUST 1983 AND THE PROVISIONAL FIGURES FOR SEPTEMBER 1983 OF TOTAL RETAIL SALES, AND OF RETAIL SALES VALUE AND VOLUME INDEXES BY MAJOR TRADE GROUPS AND SELECTED TRADES (WHICH FORM PART OF THE RELEVANT MAJOR TRADE GROUPS).

THE AVERAGE