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FERDAL, MAY 7, 985

WHILE THE VALUE INDEXES OF FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO; FUELS; CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS; AND +OTHER CONSUMER GOODS+ SHOWED NOTICEABLE UPWARD TRENDS DURING THE YEARS 1981 TO 1984, THOSE OF CONSUMER DURABLES SHOWED A DECLINE IN 1982 BUT ROSE AGAIN IN 1983 AND 1984.

EXCEPT FOR THE MONTHS OF DECEMBER, JANUARY AND FEBRUARY THE VOLUME INDEXES OF FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO, AND FUELS WERE RELATIVELY STABLE DURING THE PERIOD UNDER REVIEW. THOSE OF CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS, CONSUMER DURABLES AND +OTHER CONSUMER GOODS+ SHOWED GREATER FLUCTUATIONS, HOWEVER.

CHART 3 DEPICTS THE INDEX MOVEMENTS OF THE FOUR SELECTED

TRADES.

WHILE SUPERMARKETS, DEPARTMENT STORES AND CONSUMER DURABLES OTHER THAN MOTOR VEHICLES SHOWED MARKED INCREASES IN SALES VALUE THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD, THEIR CORRESPONDING INCREASES IN SALES VOLUME WERE RELATIVELY MUCH LESS. MOTOR VEHICLES, ON THE OTHER HAND, DECLINED DRASTICALLY IN BOTH SALES VALUE AND VOLUME.

WHEN COMPARING THE RATES OF CHANGE OF VALUE AND VOLUME INDEXES OF RETAIL SALES IN 1984 WITH THOSE IN 1983, AS SHOWN IN CHART 4, CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS SHOWED THE HIGHEST RATE OF INCREASE AMONG THE FIVE MAJOR TRADE GROUPS IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY CONSUMER DURABLES; FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO; +OTHER CONSUMER GOODS+; AND FUELS.

ANALYSED BY SELECTED TRADES, SUPERMARKETS RECORDED THE HIGHEST RATE OF INCREASE IN 1984 WHEN COMPARED WITH 1983 IN BOTH SALES VALUE AND VOLUME. MOTOR VEHICLES RANKED SECOND. DEPARTMENT STORES, THOUGH WITH THE SMALLEST INCREASE IN SALES VALUE, SHOWED A FASTER INCREASE IN SALES VOLUME THAN CONSUMER DURABLES OTHER THAN MOTOR VEHICLES.

THE RETAIL SALES STATISTICS WERE COMPILED FROM THE RESULTS OF THE MONTHLY SURVEYS OF RETAIL SALES CONDUCTED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT SINCE 1981. THE MONTHLY SURVEY AIMS TO COLLECT SALES DATA FOR THE PROVISION OF AN INDICATOR OF CURRENT ECONOMIC TRENDS IN GENERAL AND OF CONSUMER SPENDING IN PARTICULAR.

UP-TO-DATE MONTHLY REPORTS CONTAINING DETAILED ANALYSES ON THE SURVEY RESULTS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, GENERAL POST OFFICE, CONNAUGHT PLACE, AT $1.00 A COPY.

ENQUIRIES ON 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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