XN000022-1992-03-05 — Page 20

19

THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 1992

BY

COMPARING 1991 WITH THE PRECEDING YEAR, TOTAL RETAIL SALES ROSE 17% IN VALUE AND 10% IN VOLUME. THE CORRESPONDING INCREASES IN 1990 WERE 7% IN VALUE AND 1% IN VOLUME.

THE FASTER GROWTH IN 1991 REFLECTED A RECOVERY IN CONSUMER SPENDING FROM THE LOW LEVELS IN 1989 AND 1990.

SALES OF MOTOR VEHICLES AND PARTS ROSE SHARPLY IN 1991 BY 26% IN VALUE AND 15% IN VOLUME.

SALES OF CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS ALSO INCREASED RAPIDLY, BY 24% IN VALUE AND 15% IN VOLUME.

SALES OF JEWELLERY, WATCHES AND CLOCKS, AND VALUABLE GIFTS WERE HIGHER BY 19% IN VALUE AND 20% IN VOLUME; AND THOSE OF CONSUMER DURABLES OTHER THAN MOTOR VEHICLES AND PARTS BY 18% IN VALUE AND 15% IN VOLUME.

AND

ON THE SAME BASIS OF COMPARISON, SALES IN SUPERMARKETS OTHER FOODSTUFF OUTLETS INCREASED AT LESS RAPID RATES, BY 14% AND 12% RESPECTIVELY IN VALUE, AND 3% AND 1% IN VOLUME.

COMPARED WITH NOVEMBER 1991, AND BEARING IN MIND THAT THIS COMPARISON MAY BE AFFECTED BY SEASONAL FACTORS, TOTAL RETAIL SALES DECEMBER 1991 INCREASED BY 16% IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS.

IN

CHANGES IN THE VOLUME OF RETAIL SALES ARE DERIVED FROM FIGURES ON THE VALUE OF RETAIL SALES AFTER HAVING ADJUSTED FOR PRICE CHANGES. THE INDICATORS OF PRICE CHANGES USED ARE THE RESPECTIVE COMPONENTS OF THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX WHICH CORRESPOND TO THE BROAD CATEGORIES OF GOODS IN QUESTION.

THE REPORT CONTAINING THE ANALYSIS OF THE DECEMBER 1991 RESULTS IS NOW ON SALE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS SALES CENTRE, GROUND FLOOR, GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING, CONNAUGHT PLACE, CENTRAL AT $1.5 PER COPY.

ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE SURVEY RESULTS MAY BE DIRECTED ΤΟ THE WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE STATISTICS SECTION OF THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT ON TEL. 802 1258.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

TABLE 1 PRESENTS THE REVISED TOTAL RETAIL SALES FIGURE FOR NOVEMBER 1991 AND THE PROVISIONAL FIGURE FOR DECEMBER 1991.

IN TYPE OF 1989 TO RESULTS 1990, AND

TABLE 2 SHOWS THE VALUE AND VOLUME INDEXES OF RETAIL SALES NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER 1991 FOR ALL RETAIL OUTLETS AND BY RETAIL OUTLET, WITH AVERAGE RETAIL SALES FROM OCTOBER SEPTEMBER 1990 TAKEN AS 100. COMPARISONS OF DECEMBER 1991 WITH THOSE FOR NOVEMBER 1991 AND WITH THOSE FOR DECEMBER COMPARISONS OF RETAIL SALES IN 1991 WITH 1990 ARE ALSO GIVEN.

/TABLE 1

Page 20Page 21