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The total retail sales value for December has been provisionally estimated to be $29.4 billion, up 16% on the same month last year, the Census & Statistics Department says.
After netting out the effect of price changes over the same period, the volume of total retail sales grew 11.3%.
The sales volume of jewellery, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts increased the most, by 30.4%, followed by motor vehicles and parts (29.8%); electrical goods and photographic equipment (23%); apparel (9.6%); commodities in department stores (9.3%); miscellaneous consumer goods (8.4%); miscellaneous consumer durable goods (4.7%); furniture and fixtures (4%); footwear, allied products and other clothing accessories (3.6%); food, alcohol and tobacco (2.1%); and, fuels (1.1%).
The volume of sales of commodities in supermarkets recorded a 3.8% year-on-year fall.
Overall performance
For 2009 as a whole, total retail sales rose 0.6% in value but dropped 0.8% in volume when compared with 2008.
The sales volume of electrical goods and photographic equipment increased the most, by 7%, followed by fuels (5.5%); jewellery, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts (2.5%); footwear, allied products and other clothing accessories (0.7%); and, miscellaneous consumer durable goods (0.5%).
The volume of vehicle and parts sales decreased the most, by 17.1%, followed by sales of apparel (-5.0%); furniture and fixtures (-3.9%); miscellaneous consumer goods (-1.9%); and, commodities in supermarkets (-1.4%).
The department said retail sales rose notably in December. Consumer confidence should remain firm going forward, as the economy is on track to recovery and the labour market has been improving, it added.
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