BCN-18 Macao’s retail sales up by 12.8 pct in Q3 2018

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ZCZC

BCN-18

MACAO-RETAIL-SALES

Macao’s retail sales up by 12.8 pct in Q3 2018

MACAO, Nov. 25 (BSS/Xinhua) — Retail sales in Macao for the third quarter of
2018 increased by 12.8 percent year-on-year to 18.19 billion patacas (about
2.26 billion U.S. dollars), the special administrative region’s statistic
department said here on Sunday.

The latest report from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated
that the figure in the third quarter also rose by 1.0 percent as compared
with the revised figure in the second quarter of 2018.

Watches, clocks and jewelry accounted for 21.0 percent of the total value
of retail sales, followed by department store goods (16.3 percent), adults’
clothing (13.0 percent), leather goods (12.3 percent) and supermarket goods
(6.6 percent).

Sales values of the major retail activities recorded year-on-year
increases in the third quarter of 2018, with department store goods (23.1
percent), communication equipment (19.8 percent), automotive fuels (19.7
percent) and pharmacies goods (19.4 percent) showing significant growth.

Value of retail sales for the first three quarters of 2018 surged by 20.8
percent year-on-year to 56.97 billion patacas (about 7.07 billion dollars),
the report added.

In terms of retailers’ feedback, 45.8 percent of the retailers expected
the sales volume in the fourth quarter of 2018 to be stable year-on-year,
38.2 percent forecast a decrease and 16.0 percent predicted an increase.

Meanwhile, 76.9 percent of retailers expected retail prices to remain
steady year-on-year in the fourth quarter, 13.7 percent anticipated growth
and 9.4 percent foresaw a decline.

Compared with the third quarter of 2018, 51.3 percent of retailers
anticipated a stable business performance in the fourth quarter, 31.0 percent
expected business to worsen and 17.7 percent predicted an improvement.

BSS/AFP/SR/1835 HRS