XN000022-1987-12-03 — Page 5

„MURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1987

WHEN COMPARED WITH AUGUST 1987, AND BEARING IN MIND THAT THIS COMPARISON IS AFFECTED FY SEASONAL FACTORS, TOTAL RETAIL SALES FOR SEPTEMBER 1987 DECREASED SLIGHTLY BY ONE PER CENT IN VALUE AND TWO PER CYNT IN VOLUME.

IN TERMS OF BOTH SALES VALUE AND VOLUME, FUELS WENT UP BY ONE FER CENT WHILE FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO KEMAINED ALMOST UNCHANGED.

OVER THE SAME MONTH, RETAIL SALES OF CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS INCREASED BY FOUR PER CENT IN VALUE AND ONE PER CENT IN VOLUME. "OTHER CONSUMER GOODS" DROPPED BY TWO PER CENT IN SALES VALUE AND FOUR PER CENT IN SALES VOLUME, WHILST THE CORRESPONDING DECREASES FOR CONSUMER DURABLES WERE FOUR PER CENT AND FIVE FER CENT RESPECTIVELY.

ANALYSED RY SELECTED TRADES, SALES OF MOTOR VEHICLES AND PARTS INCREASED BY THREE PER CENT IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME. SUPERMARKETS SALES ROSE SLIGHTLY BY ONE PER CENT IN VALUE AND RECORDED ALMOST NO CHANGE IN VOLUME.

CONSUMER DURABLES OTHER THAN MOTOR VEHICLES AND PARTS FELL BY EIGHT PER CENT IN BOTH SALES VALUE AND VOLUME. SALES BY DEPARTMENT STORES DECREASED BY 13 PER CENT IN VALUE AND 16 PER CENT IN VOLUME.

TABLE 1 PRESENTS THE REVISED TOTAL RETAIL SALES FIGURE FOR AUGUST 1987 AND THE PROVISIONAL FIGURE FOR SEPTEMBER 1987.

TABLE 2 SHOWS THE VALUE AND VOLUME INDEXES OF RETAIL SALES IN AUGUST 1987 AND SEPTEMBER 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 SEPTEMBER 1987 RESULTS WITH THOSE FOR AUGUST 1987 AND WITH THOSE FOR SEPTEMBER 1986 AND COMPARISONS OF RETAIL SALES IN THE PERIOD JANUARY TO SEPTEMBER 1987 WITH THE SAME PERIOD IN 1986 ARE ALSO GIVEN.

THE REPORT CONTAINING THE ANALYSIS OF THE SEPTEMBER 1987 SURVEY RESULTS IS NOW ON SALE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATION SALES CENTRE. GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING, CONNAUGHT PLACE, AT SI PER COPY.

AND

ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE SURVEY RESULTS MAY BE DIRECTED то THE WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE STATISTICS SECTION OF THE CENSUS STATISTICS DEPARTMENT

(TEL NO.

5-8234941).

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TABLE 1