Shoe, clothing accessories & jewellery sales rise in Dec 2005
22 Feb '06
3 min read
Notably, automotive sector sales for the year as a whole increased 8.5 percent over 2004. New car dealers saw a yearly sales gain for the first time since 2002, while rising prices at the pump fuelled double digit growth in sales by gasoline stations over the previous year.
Furniture sector posts largest gains
In the furniture, home furnishings and electronics stores sectors, shoppers spent 0.6 percent more at furniture stores and 1.2 percent more at home electronics and appliance stores, making up for sales declines in November.
Home furnishings stores (+1.9 percent) continued three months of uninterrupted growth, while computer and software store sales fell 0.8 percent in December.
Retailers selling popular holiday items, such as toy, sporting goods, music, book and hobby shops, posted 0.4 percent higher sales in December. Other miscellaneous retailers including gift, novelty and souvenir stores also advanced 0.7 percent from the previous month. This continued four months of uninterrupted sales growth, with only three declines since October 2004.
For clothing stores, another holiday favourite, sales fell 0.5 percent in December after a big increase in November. Shoe, clothing accessories and jewellery stores ended the second half of the year on a high note with six months of continuous gains, rising 0.7 percent in December.
marketing@alchempro.com
