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B0/3D OF GOVERNORS OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM
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May .5, 1943
R & S . r f t - 11

RETAIL/F^JBHITURE REPORT FOR ! 1ARCH- 1943

"Retn.il f u r n i t u r e s t o r e s a l e s i n March were 18 p e r c e n t ".hove
t h e F e b r u a r y l e v e l b u t were 7 per c e n t b e l o v .those, i n . March 1942, The
increr.se frotti F e b r u a r y t o March t h i s y e a r was. somewhat l e s s t h a n l a s t
y e a r , r e f l e c t i n g t o a l-arge e x t e n t t h e f a c t t h a t i n s t a l m e n t s a l e s
.» gained l e s s from F e b r u a r y t o March 1943* t h a n over t h e c o r r e s p o n d i n g
^ p e r i o d -of 1942. Cash s a l e s c o n t i n u e d w e l l above .the l e v e l of l a s t
year and c h a r g e a c c o u n t s a l e s were a l s o h i g h e r t h a n a year a g o , I n - s t a l m e n t s a l e s , which l a s t y e a r had been t h r c e ^ f o u r t h s of t h e t o t a l ,
have now dropped t o a b o u t t w o - t h i r d s .
I n v e n t o r i e s i n c r c r s e d s l i g h t l y i n March b u t were 4 per c e n t
below t h o s e a t t h e und "of March a y e a r a g o . They now amount t o l e s s
t h a n s i x months' s u p p l y a t t h e c u r r e n t r a t e of s a l e as c.ompared w i t h
about s i x and o n e - h a l f months 1 s u p p l y a t t h e end of F e b r u a r y 1943.
I n s t a l m e n t a c c o u n t s r e c e i v a b l e d e c l i n e d 5 per c e n t i n March „
and a t t h e end of t h e month were 41 per c e n t below t h o s e f o r t h e c o r r e s p o n d i n g d a t e l a s t y e a r , C o l l e c t i o n s , on i n s t a l m e n t a c c o u n t s
i n c r e a s e d 8 per c e n t over t h e p r e c e d i n g month b u t were 7 per c e n t
below t h o s e f o r a year a g o . The r a t i o of c o l l e c t i o n s i n March t o
i n s t a l m e n t a c c o u n t s r e c e i v a b l e on t h e f i r s t of t h e month.was 19 per
c e n t , compared w i t h 17 per c c n t i n F e b r u a r y and 13 per c e n t i n March
1942.
"
F u r n i t u r e S t o r e S t a t i s t i c s f o r March 1943
P e r c e n t a g e <jhange f r o m
March 1942 t o F e b r u a r y 1943 t o
March 1943
Maroh 1943
Net s a l e s
Total
Cash s a l e s
Credit salest

Instalment
Charge a c c o u n t
Accounts r e c e i v a b l e , a t end of month
Total
Instalment
C o l l e c t i o n s d u r i n g 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




- 7
+51
-20
+11

+18
+13
+20
+18

-40
-41

'

+ 7
+ 8

- 4
- 7
» 4

- 4
- 5

'

+ 4

RETAIL FURNITURE STORES - MARCH 1943
S a l e s r.nd I n v e n t o r i e s

Total net sales
Percentage
chang< from
Feb,
March
1942
1943

F e d e r a l Reserve
District

Credit
percentage
change from
Feb,
March
1942
1943

Cash s a l e s
Percentage
changc f r o m
Feb,
March
1942
1943
+32
. +14
+20
+20 *
+32
+ 4
+ 7
449
+37
+16
+ 6
+58
+38
+16
+50
+ 3
+64
+12
+139
+11
' + 6
+65
+90
+17

Boston
New York
Philadelphia
Cleveland •
Richmond
Atlanta
Chicago
S t , Louis
Minneapolis
Kpnsp.s C i t y
Delias
San F r a n c i s c o

-11
-12
-18
-12
-18
- 9
- 7
-11
- 4
+20
+10
+ 4

+11
+28
+18
+15
+14
+15
+20
+17
+14
+17
+17
+18

' U. S . T o t a l •

- 7

+18

+51

1
+13 I - 1 3

Number of s t o r e s

956

956

727

727

727

-15
-17
-21
-14
-18
-13
-19
-11
-12
+10
- 1
- 8

+10
+31
+22
+19
+15
+17
+20
+21
+14
+18
+14
+18

Inventories
monthly
Percentage
change from
Feb,
March
1943
1942
- 3
- 4
- 2
+ 2
- 7
+24
- 2
- 8
- 9
- 4
-16
-17

0
+ 7
+ 3
+ 5
+ 6
+26
+ 2 .
+ 4
+ 1
- 2
+ 3
- 3

+20

- 4

+ 4

727

652

652

J l / At r e t a i l v a l u e .
Accounts R e c e i v a b l e and C o l l e c t i o n s

F e d e r a l Reserve
District

. Boston
New York
Philadelphia
Cleveland
Richmond
Atlanta
Chicago
S t . Louis
Minneapolis
Kansas C i t y
Dfllrs
San F r a n c i s c o

Accounts r c c e i v xblf , e nd. of. n o n t h
Total
I r . s V lraent
Pore:-ntagc
Pcccntr.ge
changc from
chan* c from
T'rrch
Fob.
Kerch
Feb.
1942
,1943
1942
1943
-32
—38 •
-33
-43 .
-43
-41
-40
-44
-37
-40
-33
-a

U. S . T o t a l

' -40"'

Number of s t o r e s

664

-

5
4
5
4
6
5
44
2
3
2
1

• • • •- 4 •
864 .




-36
-39
-38
-45
-44
-41
-45
-45
-37
-47
-40
-48

-

- 2
- 8
- 7 '
- 6
-10
- 7
- 6
- 9
+ 1
+17
+ 7
+ 2

4
5
4
5
7
5
6
3
1
4
3
5

-41

- 5

356

356

C o l l e c t i o n s d u r i n g rjonth
Total
Instalment
Percentage
Pc r c e n t r EC
.chant c from change from
Feb.
Feb . -larch
March
1943
1942
1943 1942
+10
+10
+ 3
+ 7
+ 5
+ 5
+ 8
+ 7
+ 6
+12
+ 5
+ 7
+ "7

'
864

R64 !

+ 8
+10
+ 3
+ 8
+ 7
+ 6
+ 6
+12
+ 4
+10
+ 5
+10

-13
- 8
- 6
- 4
-10
- 9
-19
- 9
- 5
+ 6
+ 6
+ 3
" 7
556

i
1

+ 8
356