XN000022-1993-07-02 — Page 16

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FRIDAY, JULY 2,

JULY 2, 1993

RETAIL SALES FIGURES FOR APRIL

* *

* *

THE VALUE OF TOTAL RETAIL SALES IN APRIL, ESTIMATED

AT $13.2

BILLION, INCREASED 12% WHEN COMPARED WITH THE SAME MONTH LAST YEAR, ACCORDING TO THE STATISTICS RELEASED TODAY (FRIDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

AFTER DISCOUNTING THE EFFECT OF PRICE CHANGES OVER THE SAME

PERIOD, TOTAL RETAIL SALES ROSE BY 9% IN VOLUME TERMS,

THE INCREASE WAS MAINLY ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE GROWTH IN SPENDING ON CONSUMER DURABLE GOODS OTHER THAN MOTOR VEHICLES, CLOTHING, JEWELLERY AND WATCHES.

SALES OF CONSUMER DURABLES OTHER THAN MOTOR VEHICLES REGİSTERED THE LARGEST INCREASE IN APRIL COMPARED WITH A YEAR AGO, 28% IN VALUE AND 26% IN VOLUME.

18%

SALES OF CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR WENT UP BY 28% IN VALUE AND IN VOLUME, WHILE SALES OF JEWELLERY, WATCHES AND CLOCKS, AND VALUABLE GIFTS ROSE BY 20% IN VALUE AND 24% IN VOLUME.

SALES OF FUELS ALSO INCREASED 15% IN VALUE AND 9% IN VOLUME.

10% IN

MODERATE GROWTH WAS RECORDED FOR SALES OF SUPERMARKETS, VALUE AND 3% IN VOLUME, AND FOR SALES OF FOODSTUFFS IN OTHER RETAIL OUTLETS, 5% IN VALUE AND 4% IN VOLUME.

IN

ON THE OTHER HAND, SALES OF DEPARTMENT STORES DROPPED BY 1% VOLUME, DESPITE AN INCREASE OF 6% IN VALUE. SALES OF MOTOR VEHICLES REGISTERED A DECREASE OF 21% IN VALUE AND 27% IN VOLUME.

COMPARING THE PERIOD JANUARY TO APRIL 1993 WITH THE SAME PERIOD IN 1992, TOTAL RETAIL SALES ROSE BY 11% IN VALUE AND 7% IN VOLUME.

COMPARED WITH MARCH 1993, AND BEARING IN MIND THAT THIS COMPARISON MAY BE AFFECTED BY SEASONAL FACTORS, TOTAL RETAIL SALES IN APRIL 1993 DECREASED BY 3% IN VALUE AND 5% IN VOLUME.

THE VOLUME OF RETAIL SALES IS DERIVED FROM THE VALUE OF RETAIL SALES AFTER ADJUSTING FOR PRICE CHANGES. THE RELEVANT COMPONENTS OF THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX ARE USED AS DEFLATORS.

THE REPORT CONTAINING THE ANALYSIS OF THE APRIL RESULTS IS NOW ON SALE AT $2 A COPY AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING, CONNAUGHT PLACE, CENTRAL; AND THE PUBLICATIONS SECTION OF THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT, 19TH FLOOR, WANCHAI TOWER, WAN CHAI.

AND

ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE SURVEY RESULTS MAY BE DIRECTED то THE WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE STATISTICS SECTION OF

THE CENSUS STATISTICS DEPARTMENT

ON TEL 802 1258.

/TABLE 1