XN000022-1991-12-02 — Page 2

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1991

PROVISIONAL RESULTS OF RETAIL SALES SURVEY

FOR SEPTEMBER 1991 RELEASED

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THE VALUE OF TOTAL RETAIL SALES IN SEPTEMBER 1991, ESTIMATED AT $11,839.3 MILLION, INCREASED BY 26.0% WHEN COMPARED WITH SEPTEMBER VOLUME INCREASED BY 20.3%, ACCORDING TO THE RESULTS ANNOUNCED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS

1990, WHILE THEIR PROVISIONAL SURVEY

DEPARTMENT TODAY (MONDAY).

THE MARKED INCREASES WERE PARTLY DUE TO A HIGHER LEVEL OF CONSUMPTION SPENDING BY BOTH LOCAL RESIDENTS AND TOURISTS.

A LOW BASE OF COMPARISON IN SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR, WHEN CONSUMER SENTIMENT WAS ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY THE GULF CRISIS, ALSO CONTRIBUTED.

ANALYSED BY TYPE OF RETAIL OUTLET, SALES OF RETAIL OUTLETS FOR JEWELLERY, WATCHES AND CLOCKS, AND VALUABLE GIFT INCREASED BY 41.9% IN VALUE 1990.

38.7%

AND 49.4% IN VOLUME IN SEPTEMBER 1991 COMPARED WITH SEPTEMBER

SALES OF RETAIL OUTLETS FOR CONSUMER DURABLE GOODS INCREASED BY IN VALUE AND 31.7% IN VOLUME.

WITHIN THIS GROUP, SALES OF DEALERS IN MOTOR VEHICLES AND PARTS WENT UP BY 52.7% IN VALUE AND 39.6% IN VOLUME, WHILE SALES OF RETAIL OUTLETS FOR OTHER CONSUMER DURABLE GOODS ROŠE BY 28.8% IN VALUE AND 26.2% IN VOLUME.

FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED

SALES OF RETAIL OUTLETS FOR CLOTHING, PRODUCTS WENT UP BY 20.2% IN VALUE AND 13.5% IN VOLUME.

SALES OF DEPARTMENT STORES INCREASED BY 19,7% IN VALUE AND 13.3% IN VOLUME. SALES OF SUPERMARKETS ROSE BY 10.7% IN VALUE BUT WERE VIRTUALLY UNCHANGED IN TERMS OF VOLUME.

SALES OF RETAIL OUTLETS (OTHER THAN SUPERMARKETS) FOR FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO INCREASED BY 6.4% IN VALUE BUT DECREASED BY 4.3% IN VOLUME.

SALES OF RETAIL OUTLETS FOR FUELS WENT UP BY 0.3% IN VALUE BUT DROPPED BY 5.2% IN VOLUME.

SALES OF RETAIL OUTLETS FOR OTHER CONSUMER GOODS NOT ELSEWHERE CLASSIFIED WENT UP BY 50.0% IN VALUE AND 40.4% IN VOLUME.

IN

COMPARING THE PERIOD JANUARY TO SEPTEMBER 1991 WITH THE SAME PERIOD IN 1990, TOTAL RETAIL SALES ROSE BY 16.1% IN VALUE AND 8.9% VOLUME.

IN

COMPARING WITH AUGUST 1991, AND BEARING IN MIND THAT THIS COMPARISON MAY BE AFFECTED BY SEASONAL FACTORS, TOTAL RETAIL SALES SEPTEMBER 1991 DECREASED BY 3.1% IN VALUE AND 3.3% IN VOLUME.

/CHANGES IN