XN000022-1987-06-02 — Page 11

TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 1987

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WHEN COMPARED WITH FEBRUARY 1987, AND BEARING IN MIND THAT THIS COMPAR ISON IS AFFECTED BY SEASONAL FACTORS, TOTAL RETAIL SALES FOR MARCH 1987 INCREASED BY 12 PER CENT IN VALUE AND 11 PER CENT IN VOLUME.

RETAIL SALES OF CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS WENT UP BY 34 PER CENT IN VALUE AND 32 PER CENT IN VOLUME.

FUELS ROSE BY 19 PER CENT IN SALES VALUE AND 17 PER CENT IN SALES VOLUME. +CONSUMER DURABLES+ AND +FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO INCREASED BY 14 PER CENT AND 8 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY IN BOTH SALES VALUE AND VOLUME.

+OTHER CONSUMER GOODS+ INCREASED BY 9 PER CENT IN SALES VALUE AND 8 PER CENT IN SALES VOLUME. RETAIL SALES OF MOTOR VEHICLES AND PARTS INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME.

+CONSUMER DURABLES OTHER THAN MOTOR VEHICLES AND PARTS+ AND +SUPERMARKETS+ RECORDED CONSIDERABLE INCREASES IN BOTH SALES VALUE AND VOLUME.

DEPARTMENT STORES EXPERIENCED A MODERATE INCREASE IN SALES VALUE AND A SLIGHT INCREASE IN SALES VOLUME.

THE REPORT CONTAINING THE ANALYSIS OF THE MARCH 1987 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 ON 5-8234941.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

COPIES OF TABLES AND GRAPHS SHOWING THE MARCH RETAIL SALES SURVEY WILL BE SENT BY FACSIMILE NETWORK AND ALSO BOXED FOR COLLECTION.

TABLE 1 PRESENTS THE REVISED TOTAL RETAIL SALES FIGURE FOR FEBRUARY 1987 AND THE PROVISIONAL FIGURE FOR MARCH 1987.

TABLE 2 SHOWS THE VALUE AND VOLUME INDEXES OF RETAIL SALES IN FEBRUARY 1987 AND MARCH 1987 (A) FOR ALL RETAIL TRADES, (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 MARCH 1987 RESULTS WITH THOSE FOR FEBRUARY 1987 AND WITH THOSE FOR MARCH 1986 AND COMPARISONS OF RETAIL SALES IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1987 WITH THE SAME QUARTER IN 1986 ARE ALSO GIVEN.

GRAPHS 1 AND 2 DEPICT, RESPECTIVELY, THE MOVEMENTS OF THE VALUE AND VOLUME INDEXES OF TOTAL RETAIL SALES FROM OCTOBER 1984 TO MARCH 1987 AND THE SEASONALLY ADJUSTED INDEXES AND TRENDS FROM OCTOBER 1984 TO FEBRUARY 1987.

TABLE 1