The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released the latest figures on retail sales today (October 3).
The value of total retail sales in August 2006, provisionally estimated at $17.9 billion, increased by 8.3 percent over a year earlier.
After netting out the effect of price changes over the same period, the volume of total retail sales increased by 6.4 percent in August 2006 over a year earlier.
The revised estimate of the value of total retail sales in July 2006, at $18.7 billion, increased by 7.1 percent over July 2005, while the volume of total retail sales increased by 5.2 percent.
Taking the first eight months of 2006 together, total retail sales increased by 6.7 percent in value or 5.6 percent in volume over the same period a year earlier.
Analysed by type of retail outlet and comparing August 2006 with August 2005, the volume of sales of motor vehicles and parts increased the most, by 27.7 percent. This was followed by sales of commodities in department stores (+11.4 percent); miscellaneous consumer goods (+7.1 percent); miscellaneous consumer durable goods (+5.9 percent); footwear, allied products and other clothing accessories (+5.7 percent); wearing apparel (+3.9 percent). On the other hand, the volume of sales of jewellery, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts decreased by 4.8 percent in August 2006 compared with a year earlier.
Based on the seasonally adjusted series, the volume of total retail sales increased by 0.6 percent in the three months ending August 2006 compared with the preceding three-month period.
marketing@alchempro.com
