The value of total retail sales in November has been provisionally estimated at $22.9 billion, up 11.7% on the same month last year, the Census & Statistics Department announced today.

After netting out the effect of price changes over the same period, the volume of total retail sales grew 9.8%.

The sales volume of motor vehicles and parts increased the most, by 52.1%, followed by miscellaneous consumer durable goods (21.1%); electrical goods and photographic equipment (19%); jewellery, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts (14%); fuel (11.3%); commodities in department stores (10.5%); footwear, allied products and other clothing accessories (10.3%); apparel (7.8%); miscellaneous consumer goods (7.7%); furniture and fixtures (4.9%); and, food, alcohol and tobacco (2.1%).

The volume of sales of commodities in supermarkets recorded a 3.9% year-on-year fall.

Consumer sentiment strengthens

The department said retail sales rose markedly further in November, mainly reflecting the strengthening of consumer sentiment, as evidenced by the sharp increases in spending on motor vehicles and consumer durable goods. The continued expansion of inbound tourism also contributed to the increases.

The revised estimate of the value of total retail sales in October, at $22.8 billion, grew 9.8% compared with October 2008, while the volume of total retail sales grew 8.3%.

Taking the first 11 months of the year together, total retail sales fell 1% in value or 2% in volume compared with the same period a year earlier.

Based on the seasonally adjusted series, the volume of total retail sales grew 7.3% in the three months ending November compared with the preceding three-month period.