XN000022-1991-06-01 — Page 3

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SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 1991

14%

ANALYSED BY SELECTED TRADES, SUPERMARKET SALES WENT UP BY IN VALUE AND 3% IN VOLUME. CONSUMER DURABLES OTHER THAN MOTOR VEHICLES AND PARTS INCREASED BY 11% IN SALES VALUE AND 5% IN SALES VOLUME.

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SALES IN DEPARTMENT STORES ROSE BY 3% IN VALUE BUT DROPPED 4% IN VOLUME, WHILE MOTOR VEHICLES AND PARTS DECREASED BY 10% IN SALES VALUE AND 17% IN SALES VOLUME,

COMPARING WITH FEBRUARY 1991, TOTAL RETAIL SALES FOR MARCH 1991 DROPPED BY 6% IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME.

THE DECREASE IN MARCH WAS LARGELY SEASONAL, DUE TO THE HIGH BASE OF COMPARISON IN FEBRUARY WHEN PEOPLE INCREASED THEIR PURCHASES OF FOODSTUFFS, CLOTHING AND THE LIKE AROUND THE LUNAR NEW YEAR.

RETAIL SALES OF FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO IN MARCH DECREASED BY 3% IN VALUE AND 4% IN VOLUME, WHILE THAT OF CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS DECREASED BY 24% IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME.

21%

ON THE SAME BASIS OF COMPARISON, RETAIL SALES OF FUELS ROSE BY IN VALUE AND 22% IN VOLUME, AND THAT OF CONSUMER DURABLES INCREASED BY 16% IN VALUE AND 12% IN VOLUME.

OTHER CONSUMER GOODS DROPPED BY 12% IN BOTH SALES VALUE AND SALES VOLUME.

ANALYSED BY SELECTED TRADES, RETAIL SALES OF MOTOR VEHICLES AND PARTS WENT UP BY 43% IN VALUE AND 41% IN VOLUME.

CONSUMER DURABLES OTHER THAN MOTOR VEHICLES AND PARTS ROSE BY

2% IN BOTH SALES VALUE AND SALES VOLUME.

HOWEVER, RETAIL SALES OF SUPERMARKETS DECREASED BY 6% IN VALUE AND 8% IN VOLUME, WHILE THAT OF DEPARTMENT STORES DROPPED BY 21% IN VALUE AND 22% IN VOLUME.

THE REPORT CONTAINING THE ANALYSIS OF MARCH 1991 SURVEY RESULTS IS NOW ON SALE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, GROUND FLOOR, GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING, CONNAUGHT PLACE, AT $1.50 PER COPY.

AND

ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE SURVEY RESULTS MAY BE DIRECTED TO THE WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE STATISTICS SECTION OF THE CENSUS STATISTICS DEPARTMENT (TEL. NO. 802 1258).

NOTE TO EDITORS:

TWO TABLES ON RETAIL SALES SURVEY RESULTS WILL BE SENT FACSIMILE. TABLE 1 PRESENTS THE REVISED TOTAL RETAIL SALES FIGURE FEBRUARY 1991 AND THE PROVISIONAL FIGURE FOR MARCH 1991.

/TABLE 2

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