XN000022-1991-04-05 — Page 2

FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 1991

1

PROVISIONAL RESULTS OF JANUARY RETAIL SALES SURVEY RELEASED

AT

JANUARY PROVISIONAL

THE VALUE OF TOTAL RETAIL SALES IN JANUARY 1991, ESTIMATED $10,541 MILLION, REMAINED ALMOST UNCHANGED WHEN COMPARED WITH 1990 WHILE THEIR VOLUME DECREASED BY 7%, ACCORDING TO THE

(FRIDAY) RESULTS OF A SURVEY RELEASED TODAY STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

BY THE CENSUS

AND

то MAINLY ATTRIBUTABLE THE DROP IN SALES VOLUME WAS, HOWEVER 1

FEBRUARY THIS THE TIMING OF THE LUNAR NEW YEAR, WHICH TOOK PLACE IN YEAR BUT IN JANUARY LAST YEAR.

SIMILAR PHENOMENON DUE TO THE TIMING OF THE LUNAR NEW YEAR ALSO OBSERVED IN PAST YEARS.

WAS

THE

CHANGES IN THE VOLUME OF RETAIL SALES REFER TO CHANGES IN VALUES OF RETAIL SALES AFTER DISCOUNTING ESTIMATED CHANGES IN PRICES.

ARE THE

TO

THE INDICATORS OF PRICE CHANGES USED FOR THE PURPOSE RESPECTIVE COMPONENTS OF THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX WHICH CORRESPOND THE BROAD CATEGORY OF GOODS IN QUESTION,

32%

COMPARING WITH JANUARY 1990, RETAIL SALES OF FUELS ROSE BY IN VALUE AND 1% IN VOLUME, WHILE THOSE OF FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO DROPPED BY 7% IN VALUE AND 13% IN VOLUME.

3%

CONSUMER IN VOLUME. SALES VALUE

OF SALES ON THE SAME BASIS OF COMPARISON, RETAIL

INCREASED BY 3% IN VALUE BUT DECREASED BY

FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS DROPPED BY 5% IN AND 13% IN SALES VOLUME.

DURABLES CLOTHING,

RETAIL SALES OF OTHER CONSUMER GOODS REMAINED ALMOST IN VALUE BUT DECREASED BY 5% IN VOLUME.

UNCHANGED

IN

DURABLES VALUE BUT

ANALYSED BY SELECTED TRADES, RETAIL SALES OF CONSUMER OTHER THAN MOTOR VEHICLES AND PARTS INCREASED BY 6% REMAINED ALMOST UNCHANGED IN VOLUME.

AND PARTS DEPARTMENT SUPERMARKET SALES

ON THE OTHER HAND, RETAIL SALES OF MOTOR VEHICLES DECREASED BY 2% IN VALUE AND 9% IN VOLUME, WHILE THOSE OF STORES DROPPED BY 10% IN VALUE AND 17% IN VOLUME. DECREASED BY 13% IN VALUE AND 22% IN VOLUME.

THAT THIS

COMPARING WITH DECEMBER 1990, AND BEARING IN MIND COMPARISON MAY BE AFFECTED BY SEASONAL FACTORS, TOTAL RETAIL SALES FOR FUELS DECREASED JANUARY 1991 DROPPED BY 4% IN VALUE AND 3% IN VOLUME.

RETAIL SALES OF BY 3% IN

VALUE AND 1% IN SALES FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO WENT DOWN BY 10% IN VALUE AND 11% IN VOLUME.

SALES VOLUME.

/ON THE