Full text of G.16 Retail Furniture Report : June 3, 1944

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BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM
June 3, 1944
.. R&S.'rft - 24

. vvx
RETAIL FURNITURE REPORT FOR

APRIL 1944

Retail 'furniture store sales in April- showed less.than the usual
seasonal expansion from March, and were 8 per cent below the year-ago level.
Both cash and instalment sales increased by less than the customary amount
during the month, while charge-account sales showed a contraseasonal decline.
Only cash sales were in larger volume than in the corresponding month of 1943.
Inventories remained at the March level, and were about one-fifth
below those for April 1943. At the end of the month they amounted to about
four months' supply at the current rate of sale, as compared with approximately four and one-half months' supply at the end of the corresponding
month a year ago.
Instalment accounts receivable showed little change from the pre-?
ceding month, and were in considerably smaller volume than at the end of the
corresponding month in 1943. The ratio of collections during April to instalment accounts outstanding at the first of the month was unchanged at the March
level of 23 per cent, and was three points higher than that for April of the
previous year. These accounts are now collected in approximately eight months,
about one month less than in April 1943.
Furniture Store Statistics for April 1944
Percentage change from:
Mar. 1944
Apr. 1943
to
to
Apr.. 1944
Apr. 1944
Net sales
Total
Cash sales
Credit sales:

Instalment
Charge account
Accounts receivable, at end of month
Total
Instalment
Collections during month
Total •
Instalment
Inventories, end of month, at retail value




- 8
+ 4.
-13
-12.

+
+
+
-

4
3
5
8

-25
-26

0
- 1

-16
-17
-20

- 2
- 3
0

RETAIL FURNITURE STORES - APRIL 1944
Salos end Inventories
Total net sales
Percentage
change from:
Apr.
Mar.
1945
1944

Federal Reserve
District

Cash sales
Percentage
changt3 from:
Apr.
Mar.
1943
1944

Credit sales
Percentage
change from:
Apr.
Mar.
1943
1944

Boston
New York
Philadelphia
Cleveland
Richmond
Atlanta
Chicago
St. Louis
Minneapolis'
Kansas City
Dallas
San Francisco

- 6
-11
- 7
-11
- 6
- 2
- 8
- 5
-11
-10
- 2
- 8

+ 5
+ 4
+ 5
+15
+15
+ 4
+12
+ 5
+ 6
- 2
- 5
- 5

+11
0
-22
+ 2
+ 7
+11
+ 3
— 5
+ 9
+15
+16
+13

+ 6
- 3
+ 2
+15
+17
+ 5
+12
+11
+16
- 3 .
- 6
- 2

- 9
-13
- 4
-13
- 5
- 1
-15
- 7
-17
-18
- 4
-18

+ 5
+ 6
+ 6
+13
+16
+ 3
+10
+ 4
+ 3

U. S. Total

- 8

+ 4

+ 4

+ 3

942

942

746 "

746

Number of stores

Inventories
end of month
Percentage
change from:
Apr.
Mar.
1943
1944
0
+ 1
+ 2
- 4
0
- 1
+ 4

- 2
- 7

-15
-19
-24
-36
-25
-39
- 9
-26
-24
-16
-13
-11

-1
+ 2
+ 2
+ 1

-12

+ 4

-20

0

746

746

649

643

-

2

-

2

1/ At retail value.
Accounts Receivable and Collections

I

Federal Reserve
District

Accounts receivable, end >
of month
Collections during month
Total
Instalment
Total
Instalment
Percentage
Percentage
Percentage
Percentage
change from:
change from:
Change from:
from:
Apr.
Mar.
Apr.
Mar.
Apr.
Mar.
Apr.
Mar.
1943
1944
1943
1943
1944
1944
1943
1944

Boston
New York
Philadelphia
Cleveland
Richmond
Atlanta
Chicago
St. Louis
Minneapolis
Kansas City
Dallas
San Francisco

-18
-26
-26
-28
-21
-22
-25
-24
-26
-27
-21
-30

- ].
- 1
0
+ 2
+ 1
0
+ 2
+ 1
0
0
0
0

-18
-29
-25
-26
-22
-21
-26
-27
-24
-59
-24
-35

0
- 2
0
0
+ 1
0
0
+ 2
- 1
- 1
+ 1
- 2

- 8
-19
-11
-18
-18
-12
-15
-17
-19
-17
-13
-15

+
+
+
+

5
4
2
4
1
2
2
3
1
0
- 4
- 6

-11
-21
-13
-16
-20
- 9
-31
-15
-14
-59
-15
-19

- + 3
- 5
0
- 2
0
- 2
- 3
- 5
- 1
+ 13
- 5
- 4

U. S, Total

-25

0

-26

-1

-16

- 2

-17

- 3

Number of stores

863

863

335

535

863

863

335

335