XN000022-1986-03-07 — Page 9

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FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 1986

WHEN COMPARED WITH NOVEMBER 1985, AND BEARING IN MIND THAT THIS COMPARISON IS AFFECTED BY SEASONAL FACTORS, TOTAL RETAIL SALES FOR DECEMBER 1985 INCREASED BY 11 PER CENT IN VALUE AND 10 PER CENT IN VOLUME. RETAIL SALES OF CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS RECORDED INCREASES OF 20 PER CENT IN VALUE AND 21 PER CENT IN VOLUME. +OTHER CONSUMER GOODS+ WENT UP BY 14 PER CENT IN BOTH SALES VALUE AND VOLUME. RETAIL SALES OF FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO ROSE BY 8 PER CENT IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS. FUELS AND CONSUMER DURABLES EACH HAD SLIGHT INCREASES OF 2 PER CENT IN BOTH SALES VALUE AND SALES VOLUME, RETAIL SALES OF DEPARTMENT STORES ROSE SUBSTANTIALLY AND THOSE OF SUPERMARKETS INCREASED MODERATELY IN BOTH -VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS. CONSUMER DURABLES OTHER THAN MOTOR VEHICLES HAD SLIGHT INCREASES IN BOTH SALES VALUE AND VOLUME. ON THE OTHER HAND, RETAIL SALES OF MOTOR VEHICLES REMAINED UNCHANGED IN VALUE BUT DROPPED SLIGHTLY IN VOLUME.

TABLE 1 PRESENTS THE REVISED TOTAL SALES FIGURE

FOR NOVEMBER 1985 AND THE PROVISIONAL FIGURE FOR DECEMBER 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 JN 1980 TAKEN AS 100. COMPARISONS OF DECEMBER 1985 RESULTS WITH THOSE OF NOVEMBER 1985 AND DECEMBER 1984 AND COMPARISONS OF RETAIL SALES IN THE THREE-MONTH PERIOD OCTOBER-DECEMBER 1985 WITH THOSE IN THE SAME PERIOD IN 1984 ARE ALSO GIVEN. GRAPHS 1 AND

2 DEPICT THE INDEX MOVEMENTS OF TOTAL RETAIL SALES FROM JANUARY 1983 TO NOVEMBER 1985.

THE REPORT CONTAINING THE ANALYSIS OF THE DECEMBER 1985 SURVEY RESULTS IS NOW ON SALE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATION SALES CENTRE, GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING, 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 NO.: 3-7216024).

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TABLE 1: