2. The value of total retail sales in August 2005, provisionally estimated at $16.5 billion, increased by 6.1 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 5.3 percent in August 2005 over a year earlier.
3. The revised estimate of the value of total retail sales in July 2005, at $17.4 billion, increased by 7.1 percent over July 2004, while the volume of total retail sales increased by 5.8 percent.
4. Taking the first eight months of 2005 together, total retail sales increased by 7.6 percent in value or 6.7 percent in volume over the same period a year earlier.
5. Analysed by type of retail outlet and comparing August 2005 with August 2004, the volume of sales of electrical goods and photographic equipment increased the most, by 14.4 percent. This was followed by sales of miscellaneous consumer goods (+8.2 percent in volume); commodities in department stores (+7.0 percent); wearing apparel (+6.3 percent); footwear, allied products and other clothing accessories (+5.2 percent); miscellaneous consumer durable goods (+5.2 percent); commodities in supermarkets (+3.7 percent);food, alcoholic drinks and tobacco (+2.9 percent); and furniture and fixtures (+1.4 percent).