XN000022-1992-05-04 — Page 14

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MONDAY, MAY 4, 1992

PROVISIONAL RETAIL SALES STATISTICS

FOR FEBRUARY RELEASED

* * * * * *

THE VALUE

OF TOTAL RETAIL SALES IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR, ESTIMATED AT $11.4 BILLION, INCREASED BY 7% WHEN COMPARED WITH FEBRUARY LAST YEAR, ACCORDING TO STATISTICS RELEASED TODAY (MONDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

AFTER DISCOUNTING THE EFFECT OF PRICE CHANGES OVER THE PERIOD, TOTAL RETAIL SALES REMAINED VIRTUALLY UNCHANGED IN VOLUME TERMS.

THE ABOVE YEAR-ON-YEAR COMPARISON WAS, HOWEVER, AFFECTED BY THE TIMING OF THE LUNAR NEW YEAR WHICH FELL IN EARLY FEBRUARY THIS YEAR

INSTEAD OF MID-FEBRUARY LAST YEAR.

ON

TO REDUCE SUCH SEASONAL EFFECTS, COMPARISON SHOULD BE MADE THE SALES OF THE FIRST TWO MONTHS IN 1992 TAKEN TOGETHER, WITH THOSE OF THE SAME MONTHS A YEAR AGO.

ON THIS BASIS, TOTAL RETAIL SALES INCREASED BY 21% IN VALUE AND · 14% IN VOLUME.

AS A RESULT OF PROMOTION CAMPAIGNS LAUNCHED BY SOME DEALERS, THE SALES OF MOTOR VEHICLES CONTINUED TO REGISTER THE LARGEST INCREASE IN FEBRUARY WHEN COMPARED WITH THE SAME MONTH LAST YEAR, BY 145% IN VALUE AND 127% IN VOLUME.

FOR THIS ITEM, SALES SHOULD BE LESS AFFECTED BY SEASONAL FACTORS SUCH AS THE TIMING OF THE LUNAR NEW YEAR.

THE SALES OF JEWELLERY, WATCHES, CLOCKS AND VALUABLE GIFTS IN FEBRUARY RECORDED AN INCREASE OF 8% IN VALUE AND 12% IN VOLUME COMPARED WITH A YEAR AGO.

COMPARING JANUARY AND FEBRUARY THIS YEAR WITH THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR, THE SALES OF THESE ITEMS INCREASED BY 28% IN VALUE AND 36% IN VOLUME.

IN VOLUME TERMS, SALES IN SUPERMARKETS, OTHER FOODSTUFF OUTLETS, CLOTHING/FOOTWEAR OUTLETS AND DEPARTMENT STORES ALL DROPPED IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR FROM THE SAME MONTH A YEAR AGO (-3% IN VOLUME, THOUGH +6% IN VALUE FOR SUPERMARKETS; -17% IN VOLUME AND -8% IN VALUE FOR OTHER FOODSTUFF OUTLETS; -14% IN VOLUME AND -6% IN VALUE CLOTHING/FOOTWEAR OUTLETS; AND -4% IN VOLUME, THOUGH +4% IN VALUE DEPARTMENT STORES).

SUCH YEAR-ON-YEAR COMPARISON FOR THESE TYPES OF OUTLETS PARTICULARLY AFFECTED BY THE DIFFERENT TIMING OF THE LUNAR NEW THIS YEAR COMPARED WITH LAST YEAR.

FOR

FOR

WAS

YEAR

/TAKING JANUARY