XN000022-1985-07-03 — Page 5

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 1985

ANALYSED BY SELECTED TRADES, RETAIL SALES OF MOTOR VEHICLES ROSE SUBSTANTIALLY IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS WHEN COMPARED WITH APRIL 1984. SUPERMARKETS ALSO SHOWED MODERATE INCREASES. HOWEVER, SALES OF DEPARTMENT STORES AND CONSUMER DURABLES OTHER THAN MOTOR VEHICLES DROPPED IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME.

COMPARING THE PERIOD FEBRUARY - APRIL 1985 WITH THE SAME PERIOD IN 1984, RETAIL SALES OF MOTOR VEHICLES ROSE CONSIDERABLY IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS. SUPERMARKETS AND DEPARTMENT STORES ALSO SHOWED LARGE INCREASES IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS. HOWEVER, CONSUMER DURABLES OTHER THAN MOTOR VEHICLES RECORDED NO CHANGE IN BOTH SALES VALUE AND VOLUME.

WHEN COMPARED WITH MARCH 1985, RETAIL SALES OF MOTOR VEHICLES INCREASED MODERATELY IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS. HOWEVER, SUPERMARKETS, DEPARTMENT STORES AND CONSUMER DURABLES OTHER THAN MOTOR VEHICLES ALL RECORDED DECREASES IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS.

TABLE 1 PRESENTS THE REVISED TOTAL SALES FIGURE FOR MARCH 1985 AND THE PROVISIONAL FIGURE FOR APRIL 1985.

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 APRIL 1985 RESULTS WITH THOSE OF MARCH 1985 AND APRIL 1984 AND COMPARISONS OF RETAIL SALES IN THE THREE-MONTH PERIOD FEBRUARY - APRIL 1985 WITH THE SAME PERIOD IN 1984 ARE ALSO GIVEN.

GRAPHS 1 AND 2 DEPICT THE INDEX MOVEMENTS OF TOTAL RETAIL SALES FROM JANUARY 1983 TO MARCH 1985.

THE REPORT CONTAINING THE ANALYSIS OF THE APRIL 1985 SURVEY RESULTS IS NOW ON SALE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, GENERAL POST OFFICE, CONNAUGHT PLACE, AT $1 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.: 3-7216024).

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