XN000022-1991-11-04 — Page 2

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1991

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PROVISIONAL RESULTS OF RETAIL SALES SURVEY FOR AUGUST RELEASED

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THE VALUE OF TOTAL RETAIL SALES IN AUGUST 1991, ESTIMATED AT $12,194.5 MILLION, INCREASED BY 27.6% WHEN COMPARED WITH AUGUST 1990, WHILE THEIR VOLUME INCREASED BY 20.2%, ACCORDING TO THE PROVISIONAL SURVEY RESULTS RELEASED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY (MONDAY).

THE MARKED INCREASES WERE PARTLY DUE TO A HIGHER LEVEL CONSUMPTION SPENDING.

OF

A LOW BASE OF COMPARISON IN AUGUST LAST YEAR, WHEN CONSUMER SENTIMENT WAS ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY THE OUTBREAK OF THE GULF

CRISIS, ALSO CONTRIBUTED.

ANALYSED BY TYPE OF RETAIL OUTLET, SALES OF RETAIL OUTLETS CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS WENT UP BY 41.9% IN VALUE 34.5% IN VOLUME IN AUGUST 1991 COMPARED WITH AUGUST 1990.

SALES OF RETAIL OUTLETS FOR JEWELLERY, WATCHES AND CLOCKS, VALUABLE GIFT ROSE BY 39.7% IN VALUE AND 42.0% IN VOLUME.

FOR

AND

AND

SALES OF RETAIL OUTLETS FOR CONSUMER DURABLE GOODS INCREASED BY 31.9% IN VALUE AND 25.6% IN VOLUME. WITHIN THIS GROUP, SALES OF DEALERS IN MOTOR VEHICLES AND PARTS WENT UP BY 32.7% IN VALUE AND 21.3% IN VOLUME, WHILE SALES OF RETAIL OUTLETS FOR OTHER CONSUMER DURABLE GOODS ROSE BY 31.2% IN VALUE AND 28.7% IN VOLUME.

'SALES OF

12.2% IN VOLUME..

VOLUME.

DEPARTMENT STORES INCREASED BY 18.2% IN VALUE AND

SALES OF SUPERMARKETS ROSE BY 15.4% IN VALUE AND 3.7% IN

SALES OF RETAIL OUTLETS FOR FUELS WENT UP BY 10.3% IN VALUE BUT DECREASED BY 5.4% IN VOLUME.

SALES OF RETAIL OUTLETS (OTHER THAN SUPERMARKETS) FOR FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO ROSE BY 8.4% IN VALUE BUT DROPPED BY 4.8% IN VOLUME.

SALES OF RETAIL OUTLETS FOR OTHER CONSUMER GOODS NOT ELSEWHERE CLASSIFIED WENT UP BY 47.5% IN VALUE AND 37.9% IN VOLUME.

COMPARING THE PERIOD JANUARY TO AUGUST 1991 WITH THE PERIOD IN 1990, TOTAL RETAIL SALES ROSE BY 14.8% IN VALUE AND 7.5% VOLUME.

SAME IN

COMPARING WITH JULY 1991, TOTAL RETAIL SALES IN AUGUST 1991 INCREASED BY 3.0% IN VALUE AND 3.4% IN VOLUME.

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/CHANGES IN