Sharp increase in sales of sports and recreational goods

The value of sales of sports goods, games and toys increased by more than 45 per cent from February last year to February this year. Total volume of retail sales rose by 7.1 per cent during the same period.

The seasonally adjusted volume index of retail sales increased by 1.3 per cent from January to February 1999. Retail sales in this connection exclude motor vehicles and gasoline.

The value index of retail sales of sports goods, games and toys soared 45.5 per cent from February 1998 to February 1999. Sales of pleasure boats were the main factor behind the growth. The value of sales of electrical appliances, radios and television sets, and computers, office equipment and telecommunications equipment also rose sharply, by 42.5 and 41.2 per cent respectively. An environmental tax on electrical and electronic products took effect on 1 March, and this appears to have had an impact on February sales of these items.

The volume of retail sales of other new goods including clothing, shoes, electrical goods, furniture, hardware, paint and building materials increased by just over 11.8 per cent from February 1998 to February 1999. The sales volume of stores selling pharmaceutical and medical goods, cosmetics and toiletries rose by 3.5 per cent during the same period. The volume index for retail sales in non-specialized stores, which are mostly made up of grocery stores, increased by 3.1 per cent. The corresponding figure for retail sales of food, beverages and tobacco in specialized stores increased only 0.3 per cent.

0.2 percent change from preliminary figures
The retail sales value index went up 8.7 per cent from February 1998 to February 1999. This is 0.2 percentage point less than the preliminary figure published 23 March this year. The price index rose 1.5 per cent during the same period.

Goods consumption index
Corrected for normal seasonal variations, the goods consumption index grew 2.5 per cent from January to February. In relation to the index of retail sales, the higher growth rate may be attributed to the consumption groups tobacco, motor vehicles and electricity. In February, the unadjusted goods consumption was 4.8 per cent higher than in the same month the year before.

New Statistics
Index of retail sales, February 1999.
The statistics are published monthly in the Weekly Bulletin of Statistics. For more information about the index of retail sales contact: Solveig.Nygardseter@ssb.no, tel. +47 62 88 51 74 or Aud.Midtsundstad@ssb.no, tel. +47 62 88 54 37. For more information about the goods consumption index contact Gisle.Froiland@ssb.no, tel. +47 21 09 46 91 or Kristian.Gimming@ssb.no, tel. +47 21 09 44 17.

Weekly Bulletin issue no. 15, 1999