Full text of G.16 Retail Furniture Report : October 1, 1943

The full text on this page is automatically extracted from the file linked above and may contain errors and inconsistencies.

31

BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM

RETAIL FURNITUHE REPORT FOR AUGUST 19k) •

October 1. 19L3
3&S r f t - 16

Retail f u r n i t u r e s t o r e s a l e s i n August showed l e s s than the usual seasonal
r i s e from the preceding month, owing i n large p a r t to the curtailment i n sales p r o motional a c t i v i t i e s which o r d i n a r i l y occur a t t h i s time of thg y e a r . Total s a l e s
were 4 per cent above the year-ago l e v e l , as compared with an average increase of
around 20 per cent f o r the preceding q u a r t e r . Although s u b s t a n t i a l - i n c r e a s e s from.
July to August are customary f o r sales of a l l t y p e s , charge-account s a l e s declined
s l i g h t l y while cash and i n s t a l m e n t s a l e s showed only small i n c r e a s e s . Ihe proportion
of the three types of t r a n s a c t i o n s to t o t a l s a l e s remained unchanged from the p r e ceding month. Cash s a l e s comprised a s l i g h t l y l a r g e r percentage of the t o t a l than
i n August 191*2 and instalment s a l e s a correspondingly 'smaller percentage than a
year ago.
Inventories a t the end of August amounted to s l i g h t l y l e s s than f i v e
months' supply a t the current r a t e of s a l o as compared xti. t h about s i x and one-halfmonths' supply a t the end o f August 19^2.
Instalment accounts outstanding showed a sipall decrease from J u l y , when a
s l i g h t seasonal r i s e i s u s u a l . The r a t i o of c o l l e c t i o n s during August to instalment
accounts receivable on t h e f i r s t of the month remained unchanged from the July l e v e l
of 22 per cent but was s i x points above t h a t f o r August of the preceding y e a r .
These accounts are now c o l l e c t e d on the average i n about eight months, compared
• with an average c o l l e c t i o n period of about twelve months a year ago.
Furniture Store S t a t i s t i c s f o r August 19W

£
1

Percentage '
Aug, I9I42 to
July 191+3 to
Aug. 19h3
AUK. 19W
Net sales
Total
Cash s a l e s
Credit s a l e s : Instalment
'
Charge account
Accounts r e c e i v a b l e , a t end of month
Total
Instalment
Collections during month
Total
Instalment
I n v e n t o r i e s , end of month, a t r e t a i l value




+ 4
- +20
> 1
> 3

+ 2

3
+5
+

-3

-36
-36

- 3
- 2

-13
-17
-23

-1

- 5

-U

'

-2-

RETAIL FURNITURE STORES - AUGUST 191+3
Sales and Inventories
Total
Federal Reserve
District

Boston
New York
Philadelohia
Cleveland
Richmond
Atlanta
Chicago
S t . Louis
Minneapolis
Kansas City
Dallas
San Francisco
U . ' S . Total
Number of s t o r e s

net

sales

Percentage
change from
Aug.
July
19*42
19U3
-1Q
• 7
- 5
• 2 0 r
- hSi
• 12
* 1
+11+
+ 10
•17
- 2

• 10
+ 7 + 6
" 2
• 8
• 7
- 1
+ 1
+ o
- U
• 5
- 1+

• lv
927

*20

Cash s a l e s

Credit s a l e s

Percentage
change from
Aug.
July
19L2
1943

Percentage
change from
Aug.
July
191*2
W

Inventories
end o f month 1 /
Percentage
change from
A u g / July
19L2
19l3

•30
•55
+37
•26

• 8
+ 1+
• 1+
- 3
• 1
•11
0
0
• 6
• 2
•13
• 3

-10
• 9
- h
* 1
• 2
•11
- 2
•10
• 7
• 9
•11+
- 9

* 2

•20

• 3

• 2

• + 3

-23

- 1

927

• 730

730

730

730

612

612

- 5
+ 2
+11
•12
•lit
+29
+21+

*26

+12
• 7
• 7
- 2
• 10
• 8
- 1
• 5
• 9
- 6
• U
- 6

-22
-32
- 8
-27
-18
-12
-11+
-20
-16
-15
-21
-27

•
•
+
-

0
0
0
1+
0
8
1
0
3
1
1
1

2/ The reported increase i n cash arid c r e d i t s a l e s i s n o t i n c o n s i s t e n t with the report- ed d e c l i n e i n t o t a l j > e t s a l e s s i n c e the tetter includes some a d d i t i o n a l s t o r e s
which had s p e c i a l i t i e s i n August 191+2.
Accounts Receivable and C o l l e c t i o n s

Federal ReserveDistrict

Boston
New York
Philadelphia
Cleveland
Richmond
Atlanta
Chicago
St. lauis
Hinneapolis
Kansas City
Dallas . .
San Francisco

Accounts receivabl e . end o f BDntt C o l l e c t i o n s during- month
Total
Instalment
Total
Instalment
Percentage
Percentage
Percentage
Percentage
chfxnfe from
change from
change from
change from
Aug.
July
Aug.
July
Aug1.
July
Aug.
July
191+2
191+3
191+2
191+3
191+2
191+3
191+2
191+3
1
-30
- 1
0
-18
-31
-21
-10
- 5
. -31+
- 3
-36
-12
0
-18
- 3
- 2
-38
- 6
- 3
-37
-19
-18
- 5
-39
- 3
- 3
-39
-17
: 1
-17
- 8
- 1 •
0
-39
-IB
-21
-39
- 3
- 5
0 "
+ 1
- 2
-15
- 2
:S
- 1+
-20
: ?
- u
-he
-11
-17
:l
- 1
- 1
+ 6
- 5
- 9

!

ft

- - 5

*J. S. Total

-36

- 3

-36

Number.of s t o r e s

8ia

81+1

...?^2




- 2

i \

ill

: j

-13

-13

- 5

-17

8L1

qui

31+2 . %2

.

5
- 1+