XN000022-1984-09-04 — Page 5

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1984

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RETAIL SALES VALUE INDEX DOWN ******

THE VALUE OF SALES FOR THE RETAIL TRADE SECTOR IN JUNE THIS YEAR WAS ESTIMATED TO BE $5 393 MILLION, ACCORDING TO THE PROVISIONAL SURVEY RESULTS RELEASED TODAY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

AT 159, THE OVERALL RETAIL SALES VALUE INDEX DECREASED BY FOUR POINTS OR THREE PER CENT WHEN COMPARED WITH THE MAY 1984 FIGURE, BUT INCREASED BY 23 POINTS OR 17 PER CENT WHEN COMPARED WITH JUNE 1983. THE OVERALL RETAIL SALES VOLUME INDEX, AT 110, WAS FOUR POINTS OR THREE PER CENT LOWER THAN THAT FOR MAY 1984 BUT FIVE POINTS OR FIVE PER CENT HIGHER THAN THAT FOR JUNE 1983.

COMPARED WITH MAY 1984, FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND AT TOBACCO RECORDED INCREASES IN BOTH SALES VALUE AND VOLUME, THREE PER CENT AND TWO PER CENT RESPECTIVELY.

OVER THE SAME PERIOD, RETAIL SALES OF CONSUMER DURABLES AND FUELS DECREASED BY TWO PER CENT AND THREE PER CENT RESPECTIVELY IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS, WHILE THOSE OF OTHER CONSUMER GOODS DROPPED BY THREE PER CENT IN VALUE TERMS AND FOUR PER CENT IN VOLUME TERMS.

RETAIL SALES OF CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS WENT DOWN BY 15 PER CENT IN VALUE TERMS OR 16 PER CENT IN VOLUME TERMS.

COMPARED WITH JUNE 1983 SALES, BOTH CONSUMER DURABLES AND FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO RECORDED THE LARGEST INCREASE IN SALES VALUE, AT 22 PER CENT EACH. IN TERMS OF SALES VOLUME. CONSUMER DURABLES INCREASED BY NINE PER CENT AND FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO BY EIGHT PER CENT. RETAIL SALES OF CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS INCREASED BY 19 PER CENT IN VALUE TERMS OR SIX PER CENT IN VOLUME TERMS. RETAIL SALES OF OTHER CONSUMER GOODS INCREASED BY 12 PER CENT IN VALUE TERMS OR TWO PER CENT IN VOLUME TERMS WHILE THOSE OF FUELS ROSE BY SEVEN PER CENT IN VALUE TERMS OR ONE PER CENT IN VOLUME TERMS.

ANALYSED BY SELECTED TRADES, RETAIL SALES OF SUPERMARKETS IN JUNE 1984 RECORDED LARGE INCREASES IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS WHEN COMPARED WITH MAY 1984, BUT MOTOR VEHICLES, DEPARTMENT STORES AND CONSUMER DURABLES OTHER THAN MOTOR VEHICLES SHOWED DECREASES. WHEN COMPARED WITH JUNE 1983, RETAIL SALES OF SUPERMARKETS ROSE SUBSTANTIALLY BOTH IN VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS. THOSE OF CONSUMER DURABLES OTHER THAN MOTOR VEHICLES AND DEPARTMENT STORES RECORDED LARGE INCREASES IN VALUE TERMS BUT SMALLER INCREASES IN VOLUME TERMS. MOTOR VEHICLES RECORDED A MODERATE INCREASE IN SALES VALUE AND A SLIGHT INCREASE IN SALES VOLUME.

VIES REVISED