XN000022-1986-06-02 — Page 2

MONDAY, JUNE 2, 1986′′

MARCH RETAIL SALES SURVEY RESULTS OUT

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THE VALUE OF TOTAL RETAIL SALES IN MARCH 1986, ESTIMATED AT $5 716 MILLION, WAS 3 PER CENT HIGHER THAN IN MARCH 1985, WHILE THE IR VOLUME REMAINED UNCHANGED, ACCORDING TO THE PROVISIONAL. SURVEY RESULTS RELEASED TODAY (MONDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT,

COMPARED WITH MARCH 1985, RETAIL SALES OF CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS INCREASED BY 12 PER CENT IN VALUE AND 6 PER CENT IN VOLUME. FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOL IC DRINKS AND TOBACCO ROSE BY 3 PER CENT IN BOTH SALES VALUE AND VOLUME.

+OTHER CONSUMER GOODS+ AND CONSUMER DURABLES RECORDED INCREASES OF 3 PER CENT AND 1 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY IN SALES VALUE BUT DECREASES OF 1 PER CENT AND 3 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY IN SALES VOLUME. FUELS WENT DOWN BY 3 PER CENT IN SALES VALUE BUT REMAINED UNCHANGED IN SALES VOLUME.

ANALYSED BY SELECTED TRADES, RETAIL SALES BY SUPERMARKETS INCREAS.D MODERATELY IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS. BOTH MOTOR VEHICLES AND CONSUMER DURABLES OTHER THAN MOTOR VEHICLES SHOWED SLIGHT INCREASES IN SALES VALUE BUT SLIGHT DECREASES IN SALES. VOLUME DEPARTMENT STORES RECORDED NO CHANGE IN SALES VALUE BUT A SLIGHT DECREASE IN SALES VOLUME.

COMPARING THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1986 WITH THAT OF 1985, TOTAL RETAIL SALES INCREASED BY 1 PER CENT IN VALUE BUT FELL BY 2 PER CENT IN VOLUME. RETAIL SALES OF CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS ROSE BY 6 PER CENT IN VALUE AND 1 PER CENT IN VOLUME. THOSE. OF CONSUMER DURABLES WENT UP BY 2 PER CENT IN VALUE BUT DROPPED BY 2 PER CENT IN VOLUME.

FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO RECORDED INCREASES OF 1 PER CENT IN BOTH SALES VALUE AND VOLUME. FUELS SHOWED NO CHANGE IN SALES VALUE BUT INCREASED BY 1 PER CENT IN SALES VOLUME. ON THE OTHER HAND, +OTHER CONSUMER GOODS+ DECREASED BY 1 PER CENT IN SALES VALUE AND 5 PER CENT IN SALES VOLUME.

RETAIL SALES BY SUPERMARKETS SHOWED MODERATE INCREASES IN BOTH. VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS. MOTOR VEHICLES ROSE MODERATELY IN SALES VALUE BUT LESS SO IN SALES VOLUME. RETAIL SALES OF CONSUMER BURABLES OTHER THAN MOTOR VEHICLES AND DEPARTMENT STORES SHOWED SLIGHT → DECREASES IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS.

WHEN COMPARED WITH FEBRUARY 1986, AND BEARING IN MIND THAT COMPARISON IS AFFECTED BY SEASONAL FACTORS, TOTAL RETAIL SALES FOR MARCH 1986 ROSE BY 3 PER CENT IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME, RETAIL SALES OF FUELS ROSE BY 10 PER CENT IN VALUE AND 13 PER CENT IN VOLUME.

/BOTH CONSUMER