XN000022-1985-07-03 — Page 4

3

-

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 1985

APRIL RETAIL SALES SURVEY RESULTS RELEASED

****

THE VALUE OF RETAIL SALES IN APRIL 1985, ESTIMATED AT $5 406 MILLION, WAS ONE PER CENT HIGHER THAN IN APRIL 1984, WHILE THEIR VOLUME WAS ONE PER CENT LOWER, ACCORDING TO THE PROVISIONAL SURVEY RESULTS RELEASED TODAY (WEDNESDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

APRIL 1985, RETAIL SALES FOR THE THREE-MONTH PERIOD FEBRUARY WHEN COMPARED WITH THE SAME PERIOD IN 1984, ROSE BY 10 PER CENT IN VALUE AND EIGHT PER CENT IN VOLUME.

COMPARING APRIL 1985 WITH MARCH 1985, AND BEARING IN MIND THAT THIS COMPARISON IS AFFECTED BY SEASONAL FACTORS, RETAIL SALES DECREASED BY THREE PER CENT IN VALUE AND FOUR PER CENT IN VOLUME.

IN APRIL 1985, RETAIL SALES OF FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO ROSE BY FOUR PER CENT IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS WHEN COMPARED WITH APRIL 1984. FUELS ALSO INCREASED BY TWO PER CENT IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS, CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS SHOWED AN INCREASE OF EIGHT PER CENT IN SALES VALUE BUT A DECREASE OF ONE PER CENT IN SALES VOLUME. BOTH CONSUMER DURABLES AND +OTHER CONSUMER GOODS+ DROPPED BY TWO PER CENT IN SALES VALUE, WHILE THE IR DECREASES IN SALES VOLUME WERE FOUR PER CENT AND THREE PER CENT RESPECTIVELY.

COMPARING THE PERIOD FEBRUARY - APRIL 1985 WITH THE SAME PERIOD IN 1984, RETAIL SALES OF CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS INCREASED BY 22 PER CENT IN VALUE AND 13 PER CENT IN VOLUME. THOSE OF FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO ROSE BY 11 PER CENT IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS.

CONSUMER DURABLES SHOWED AN INCREASE OF NINE PER CENT IN VALUE AND SIX PER CENT IN VOLUME. RETAIL SALES OF OTHER CONSUMER GOODS+ AND FUELS INCREASED BY EIGHT PER CENT AND TWO PER CENT RESPECTIVELY IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS.

WHEN COMPARED WITH MARCH 1985, RETAIL SALES OF CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS ROSE BY FOUR PER CENT IN VALUE AND ONE PER CENT IN VOLUME. ON THE OTHER HAND, RETAIL SALES OF FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO AND FUELS DECREASED BY ONE PER CENT IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS. CONSUMER DURABLES DECREASED BY TWO PER CENT IN SALES VALUE AND THREE PER CENT IN SALES VOLUME, WHILE +OTHER CONSUMER GOODS+ FELL BY SIX PER CENT IN VALUE AND SEVEN PER CENT IN VOLUME.

/ANALYSED BY