XN000022-1984-10-07 — Page 3

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1984

TABLE 1 PRESENTS THE REVISED TOTAL SALES FIGURE FOR JUNE 1984 AND THE PROVISIONAL FIGURE FOR JULY 1984. TABLE 2 SHOWS THE VALUE AND VOLUME INDEXES OF RETAIL SALES BY MAJOR TRADE GROUPS AND SELECTED TRADES (WHICH FORM PART OF THE RELEVANT MAJOR TRADE GROUPS), WITH AVERAGE MONTHLY RETAIL SALES IN 1980 TAKEN AS 100. COMPARISONS OF JULY 1984 RESULTS WITH THOSE OF JUNE 1984 AND JULY 1983 ARE ALSO GIVEN.

GRAPHS 1 AND 2 (WHICH ARE BEING SENT BY FACSIMILE) DEPICT THE INDEX MOVEMENTS OF TOTAL RETAIL SALES FROM JANUARY 1981 TO JUNE 1984 (WITH AVERAGE MONTHLY RETAIL SALES IN 1980 = 100).

AS SHOWN IN GRAPH 1, OVER THE PAST THREE AND A HALF YEARS, THE VALUE INDEX OF TOTAL RETAIL SALES ROSE SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE MONTHS OF DECEMBER AND JANUARY BUT DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY.

THESE MOVEMENTS WERE LARGELY DUE TO THE FESTIVE SPENDING AT CHRISTMAS AND CHINESE NEW YEAR.

HOWEVER, THE SEASONALLY ADJUSTED SALES VALUE INDEX AND THE TREND HAVE GENERALLY FOLLOWED A STEADY UPWARD COURSE OVER THE YEARS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF 1982.

THE VOLUME INDEX OF TOTAL RETAIL SALES, AS DEPICTED IN GRAPH 2, SHOWS A SIMILAR PATTERN OF FLUCTUATING MOVEMENTS TO THE VALUE INDEX.

HOWEVER, THE SEASONALLY ADJUSTED SALES VOLUME INDEX AND THE TREND ARE MUCH MORE STABLE SINCE THE BEGINNING OF 1983 AS COMPARED WITH THE GRADUAL UPTREND IN SALES VALUE.

THE REPORT CONTAINING THE ANALYSIS OF THE JULY 1984 SURVEY RESULTS IS NOW ON SALE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, GENERAL POST OFF ICE, CONNAUGHT PLACE, AT $1.00 PER COPY.

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).

TABLE 1: TOTAL RETAIL SALES

TOTAL RETAIL SALES FOR JULY 1984 (PROVISIONAL FIGURE)

☐ HK$5 693 MILLION

FOR JUNE 1984 (REVISED FIGURE)

- HK$5 363 MILLION

/TABLE 2