XN000022-1986-10-31 — Page 8

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1986

FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO AS WELL AS CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS RECORDED ALMOST NO CHANGE IN SALES VALUE BUT INCREASED BY TWO PER CENT IN SALES VOLUME. FUELS WENT DOWN BY FOUR PER CENT IN SALES VALUE AND BY THREE PER CENT IN SALES VOLUME.

RETAIL SALES OF DEPARTMENT STORES INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS. SUPERMARKETS, MOTOR VEHICLES AND PARTS, AND CONSUMER DURABLES OTHER THAN MOTOR VEHICLES AND TE PARTS RECORDED SLIGHT INCREASE INS BOTH SALES VALUE AND VOLUME.

TABLE 1 PRESENTS THE REVISED TOTAL RETAIL SALES FIGURE FOR JULY 1986 AND THE PROVISIONAL FIGURE FOR AUGUST 1986.

TABLE 2 SHOWS THE VALUE AND VOLUME INDEXES OF RETAIL SALES.- IN JULY 1986 AND AUGUST 1986 (A) FOR ALL RETAIL SALES, (B) BY MAJOR TRADE GROUPS AND (C) BY SELECTED TRADES (WHICH FORM PART OF THE RELEVANT MAJOR TRADE GROUPS), WITH AVERAGE RETAIL SALES FROM OCTOBER 1984 TO SEPTEMBER 1985 TAKEN AS 100,

COMPARISONS OF AUGUST 1986 RESULTS WITH THOSE OF JULY 1986 AND WITH THOSE OF AUGUST 1985 AND COMPARISONS OF RETAIL SALES IN THE THREE-MONTH PERIOD JUNE TO AUGUST 1986 WITH THOSE IN THE SAME PERIOD IN 1985 ARE ALSO GIVEN.

GRAPHS 1 AND 2 DEPICT RESPECTIVELY THE MOVEMENTS OF THE VALUE AND VOLUME INDEXES OF TOTAL RETAIL SALES, INCLUDING THE SEASONALLY ADJUSTED INDEXES AND TRENDS, FROM OCTOBER 1984 TO JULY 1986.

THE REPORT CONTAINING THE ANALYSIS OF THE AUGUST 1986 SURVEY. RESULTS IS 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 DEPARTMENT'S WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE STATISTICS SECTION ON 3-7216024.

TABLE 1