XN000022-1989-11-02 — Page 23

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1989

22

AUGUST RESULTS OF RETAIL SALES SURVEY RELEASED

1989,

ESTIMATED AT

THE TOTAL VALUE OF RETAIL SALES IN AUGUST $8,922 MILLION, INCREASED BY 2 PER CENT WHEN COMPARED WITH AUGUST 1988 WHILST THEIR VOLUME DECREASED BY 3 PER

CENT, ACCORDING TO THE PROVISIONAL RESULTS OF A SURVEY RELEASED TODAY I THURSDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

THIS SLUGGISH PERFORMANCE WAS ATTRIBUTABLE IN SLACKENING IN LOCAL CONSUMER SPENDING AND IN PART то A TOURISM.

OF

IN

PART TO A SETBACK IN

FOODSTUFFS,

VALUE AND 8

COMPARED WITH AUGUST 1988, RETAIL SALES ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO WENT UP BY 17 PER CENT PER CENT IN VOLUME. FUELS ROSE BY 12 PER CENT IN SALES VALUE AND 2 PER CENT IN SALES VOLUME.

ON THE SAME BASIS OF COMPARISON, CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS DECREASED BY 5 PER CENT IN SALES VALUE AND 14 PER CENT IN SALES VOLUME. CONSUMER DURABLES DROPPED BY 0 PER CENT IN SALES VALUE AND 13 PER CENT IN SALES VOLUME.

OTHER CONSUMER GOODS INCREASED BY 2 PER CENT IN SALES VALUE BUT DECREASED BY 3 PER CENT IN SALES VOLUME.

ANALYSED BY SELECTED TRADES, SALES OF SUPERMARKETS WENT UP BY 18 PER CENT IN VALUE AND 6 PER CENT IN VOLUME. SALES OF DEPARTMENT STORES ROSE BY 5 PER CENT IN VALUE BUT DROPPED BY 1 PER CENT IN VOLUME.

MOTOR VEHICLES AND PARTS SHOWED PRACTICALLY NO CHANGE IN SALES VALUE BUT WENT DOWN BY 6 PER CENT IN SALES VOLUME, CONSUMER DURABLES OTHER THAN MOTOR VEHICLES AND PARTS DECREASED BY 14 PER CENT IN SALES VALUE AND 16 PER CENT IN SALES VOLUME.

COMPARING THE PERTOD JANUARY TO AUGUST 1989 WITH THE SAME PERIOD IN 1988, TOTAL RETAIL SALES INCREASED BY 8 PER CENT IN VALUE BUT HAD PRACTICALLY NO CHANGE IN VOLUME. SALES OF FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO ROSE BY 15 PER CENT IN VALUE AND 4 PER CENT IN VOLUME. FUELS WENT UP BY 8 PER CENT IN SALES VALUE AND CENT IN SALES VOLUME.

PER

RETAIL SALES OF CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS INCREASED BY 10 PER CENT IN VALUE BUT HAD PRACTICALLY NO CHANGE IN VOLUME. CONSUMER DURABLES ROSE BY 1 PER CENT IN SALES VALUE BUT FELL BY 5 PER CENT IN SALES VOLUME.

OTHER CONSUMER GOODS WENT UP BY 7 PER CENT IN SALES

VALUE AND

1 PER CENT IN SALES VOLUME.

/ANALYSED BY