XN000022-1986-03-07 — Page 8

FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 1986

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DECEMBER RETAIL SALES SURVEY RESULTS OUT

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THE VALUE OF TOTAL RETAIL SALES IN DECEMBER 1985, ESTIMATED AT $6 478 MILLION, WAS 5 PER CENT HIGHER THAN IN DECEMBER 1984, AND THE VOLUME WAS 3 PER CENT HIGHER, ACCORDING TO THE PROVISIONAL SURVEY RESULTS RELEASED TODAY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

COMPARED WITH SALES IN DECEMBER 1984, RETAIL SALES OF CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS INCREASED BY 15 PER CENT IN VALUE AND 9 PER CENT IN VOLUME. CONSUMER DURABLES ROSE BY 7 PER CENT IN SALES VALUE AND 5 PER CENT IN SALES VOLUME. RETAIL SALES OF FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO WENT UP BY 4 PER CENT IN VALUE AND 3 PER CENT IN VOLUME.

+OTHER CONSUMER GOODS+ INCREASED BY 3 PER CENT IN SALES VALUE AND 1 PER CENT IN SALES VOLUME. FUELS INCREASED BY 1 PER CENT IN SALES VALUE BUT SHOWED NO CHANGE IN SALES VOLUME. ANALYSED BY SELECTED TRADES, RETAIL SALES OF SUPERMARKETS, MOTOR VEHICLES AND CONSUMER DURABLES OTHER THAN MOTOR VEHICLES ROSE MODERATELY IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS, DEPARTMENT STORES HAD A SLIGHT INCREASE IN SALES VALUE BUT NO CHANGE IN SALES VOLUME.

COMPARING THE THREE-MONTH PERIOD OCTOBER - DECEMBER 1985 WITH THE SAME PERIOD IN 1984, TOTAL RETAIL SALES INCREASED BY 4 PER CENT IN VALUE AND 2 PER CENT IN VOLUME. RETAIL SALES OF CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS ROSE BY 14 PER CENT IN VALUE AND 7 PER CENT IN VOLUME. CONSUMER DURABLES WENT UP BY 5 PER CENT IN SALES VALUE AND 4 PER CENT IN SALES VOLUME.

FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO RECORDED INCREASES OF 2 PER CENT IN BOTH SALES VALUE AND VOLUME. RETAIL SALES OF FUELS ROSE BY 2 PER CENT IN VALUE AND 1 PER CENT IN VOLUME. +OTHER CONSUMER GOODS+ SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 2 PER CENT IN SALES VALUE BUT NO CHANGE IN SALES VOLUME. RETAIL SALES OF SUPERMARKET, MOTOR VEHICLES AND DEPARTMENT STORES INCREASED MODERATELY IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS. CONSUMER DURABLES OTHER THAN MOTOR VEHICLES HAD SLIGHT INCREASES IN BOTH SALES VALUE AND VOLUME.

/WHEN COMPARED