Full text of G.16 Retail Furniture Report : November 18, 1942

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

,

#

''

BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM

CONFIXWl"v
jN^K^'PUBLICATJON

U'; , r ,

.

'

November 18, 1942
%S r f t - 5
RETAIL FURNITURE REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER 1942

Retail f u r n i t u r e store sales i n ' t h e United S t a t e s increased s l i g h t l y
from August to September, although a decline usually ocour's in the period. There
were contraseasonal increases i n sales on both instalment and regular charge accounts, and a seasonal expansion in cash s a l e s . Total sales were a l i t t l e
smaller than a year ago.
Inventories, which are usually b u i l t up in September, remained near the
high August l e v e l . They amount to about six and one-half months' supply a t the
current r a t e of s a l e , as compared with l e s s than f i v e months' supply in September 194-1.
Instalment accounts outstanding continued to decline in September and
by the end of the month were 30 per cent below the corresponding period l a s t year.
Collections on instalment accounts were below those f o r August, but they continued l a r g e r than in the e a r l y f a l l of 1941, as shown in the table on page 2.
The r a t i o of c o l l e c t i o n s on instalment accounts in September to receivables on
the f i r s t of the month was 16 per cent, about the same as the r a t i o f o r the p r e ceding monthj the corresponding r a t i o f o r charge accounts, however, increased
s u b s t a n t i a l l y -from 56 to 64 per cent.
Sales and Inventories f o r September 1942
*

Total net sales

Cash'sales

Credit sales

-

Federal'Reserve
District

Percentage
Percentage
change from
change from
Aug. • Sept, Aug.
Scot.
1941 1942
1942
1941

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

- 3
-20 -13
. -14
+ 3
+ 1
- 5
- 8
-11
+ 9
.+11'
+ 1

U. S. Total
Number of s t o r e s
reporting

Percentage
change from
Aug.
Sept.
1942
1941

- 7 •
+15 •
+ 1
— 8
- 3
-1
- 2
+13
-11
+ 5
+ 6
+ 5

+50
+10
+42
+49
+44 ' *53
+35
+40
+61
+69
+82
+44

0
+20
+ 3
- 5
+ 6
- 2
+ 3
+14
+ 9
+11
+21
+ 3

— 8
-24
-12
-18
- 3
- 2
-15
-16
— 8
+ 2
+ 6
-15

-10
+13
- 1
- 5
- 4
- 2
- 6
+ 7
- 7
+ 4
+ 7
* 7

+28
+22
+29
+42
+17
+16
+20
+ 8
+17
+28
+17
+25

+ 4
- 2
+ 5
0
0
0
0
+ 1
- 2
+ 2
- 2
— 4

- 6

+ 2

+38

+ 8

-13

+ 2

+24

- 1

942

972

655

691

655

691

614

661

Note: Figures shovm are preliminary and subject to revision.



Inventories,
end. of month
( a t r e t a i l value)
Percentage change
from
Aug.
Sept.
1942
1941

CONFIDENTIAL
NOT FOR PUBLIC A HON

-2:

'

Total Net Sales by fypc of Transaction "
Per cent of t o t a l
Type of transaction

September 1942 September 1941

Cash sales
'
Instalment sales :
Other c r e d i t s a l e s
Total n e t s a l e s

•

17
65
18
100

11
73
_16
-100

'

Retail Furniture Store Credit, September 194-2

Federal Reserve
District

Total
accounts
receivable,
end of month
Percentage
change from
Sept. • Aug.
1941
1942

Boston
-25
New York
—28
Philadelphia
-27
Cleveland
. -32
Richmond
-29
Atlanta
-31
Chicago
-31
S t . Louis
' -34 .
Minneapolis •
-29
Kansas City
-28
Dallas
. "
-32
San Francisco
-27
U. S. Total . '
Number of stores'
reporting

-29
832

- 8
- 3
- 4
— 3
— 4
- 5
- 4
-- 4
— 4
- 2
- 4
- 2
:

873

instalment
accounts'
receivable,
end of month
Percentage
change'from
Sept.
'Aug.
1941
1942

total
collections
during month
Percentage
change from
Sept.
Aug.
1941
1942

-26
-30
-35
-28

-12
. -.3.
- 4
- 6
r- 5
- 5
- 5
;*• 4
— 5
- 4
"- 5
- 3

+ 2
- 3
+ 4
+ 1
+10
+ 5
0
+ 3
+ 3
+ 9
+10
+9

- 7
2
— 6
^ 8
- 7
- 3
- 5
+ 1
- 2
- 1
- 2
• - 1

-30i=

- 5

+4

- 4

+ 3*

- 5

437-

464

832

873

437*

464

-23
-28
-26
-35
-34
-30
•r-32
—

* Based on reports from eleven D i s t r i c t s .
"
'
Note: Figures shown are preliminary and subje'et to revision.




Instalment
collections
during month
Percentage
change from
Sept.
Aug.
1941
1942
0
- 2
+ 5
- 7
+13
+ 5 '
- 2
—

> 8
+14
4- 8
+31

-16
.r 3
- 7
— 8
+1
- 3
- 7
- 3
- 4
- 4
—5
+1