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EOAED OF GOVERNORS OF TEE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM
November 8, 1955•

G.16

RETAIL FJBMTURE REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER 1955

Instalment a'ccounts outstanding a t f u r n i t u r e s t o r e s i n creased s l i g h t l y f u r t h e r during September. Balances a t the end of
the month were 1 per cent above the preceding month and 7 per cent
above a year ego. C o l l e c t i o n s during the month amounted t o about
12 per cent of f i r s t - o f - m o n t h r e c e i v a b l e s , 1 p o i n t below August and
the same as September of l a s t y e a r .
Sales of a l l types decreased s l i g h t l y i n September, but continued above a year ago. Instalment s a l e s were 15 p e r cent above a
year ago, charge-account s a l e s were up 12 per cent', and cash s a l e s
were up 11 p e r c e n t .
The r e t a i l value of f u r n i t u r e s t o r e i n v e n t o r i e s increased
5 per cent during September, and a t the end of the month was 2 p e r
cent above a year e a r l i e r . At the September r a t e of s a l e s , stocks
en hand amounted t o an estimated 4 months' supply.

F u r n i t u r e Store S t a t i s t i c s f o r September 1955
Percentage change from:
Month Y e a r | J a n . - S e p t . 1954
to
ago
Net s a l e s during month
Total
Cash
Instalment
Charge Account
Accounts r e c e i v a b l e , a t end of month
Total
Instalment
Charge account

1
1
i
i
1
;
I
1

I n v e n t o r i e s , end of month, a t r e t a i l value

|

!

i
!
1
C o l l e c t i o n r a t i o s on instalment accounts 1 /
1 / C o l l e c t i o n s during month as percentage

Digitized for beginning
FRASER of month.


'
-

i
j
1
1
!
i
1
i
|

3
3
^
4

+ i
+.i
+ 2

j
+14
+11
+15
+12
'

1
i
!
i

+9
+ 7
+ii
+12

+ 5 !
+ 7 i
+14 i

rrx
xxx
XXX

! + 2 1
/ •' XXX
1 - - !
1
Sept. j Aug.
Sept.
19*4
1955 1 1955
1
1
12
12
13
of accounts outstanding a t
+ 5

I

!

5.16

- 2 RETAIL FUEMTUBE STORES - SEPTEMBER 1955
Sales by Type of Transaction
(Percentage changes)

Total net sales

Boston ^
New York
Philadelphia
Cleveland
Richmond
Atlanta
Chicago
S t . Louis
Minneapolis
Kansas City
Dallas
San Francisco
U. S. T o t a l

|
j
|
j
|
,
|
i
j
|
|
j
1
[

Cash :s a l e s

Month
ago

,
:i

Year
ago

+ 9
+22
+12
-12
- 7
-13
-12
- 9
- 8
-11
-10
- 7

!
;
!
i
1
|

+18
+ 9
+n
+13
+22
+16

- 3

!

+14 j

- 3

|

1

Year
ago
•
+18
+12
+13
- 7
+33"
+ 7
+ 8
+ 1
' 9
-10
+10
+27

N

ij
|!
j

+ 5 I
+ * i
+ 6
+15
+19

+14
+26
+ 6
-15
- 9
-19
. -16
- 7
-16
'25
-15
- 4

|
j
!
i
1
I
i
;
ij
- lj
I!
|I
i
j
j

1

Federal
Reserve
J)1 s t r i c t

+13

' • Instalment
sales
| Month
Year
j ago
ago
1
+14
i + 4
+ 6
i +22
+10
i +12
1
1
1
+15
i
+23
; - 6
+17
I -13
+14
! - 7
1 -12 ;1 + 4
j - 7 I + 3
+10
, - 9
, -11
+19
+22
j - 7

+11 :

- 4

j Charge-account
1
sales
i Month | Year
I aco j ago
1
| +20 ! +28
+ 6 1 " k
+19 j +12
K.A., j N.A.
- 7 1 +14
- 6 I; +22
-26 j1 +17
1 + 1 Ij +12
,| - 7 | 1 +25
ji - 5 i + 9
i - 3 i + 7
+ 8
j
~

7

!

- 4

+15

+12

|

Cumulative S a l e s by Type of Transaction, Instalment
Accounts Receivable, and I n v e n t o r i e s
(Percentage changes)
Instalment
receivables,
end of month
Month j Year
ago I ago

Cumulative s a l e s , J a n . - S e p t .
change from 1954 t o 1955

Federal
Reserve
District
Boston
JSew York
Philadelphia
Cleveland
Richmond
Atlanta
Chicago
S t . Louis
Minneapolis
Kansas City
Bellas
San Francisco
U. S. Total

+ 6
- 1
+ 7
+ 9
+13
+13
| +12
| + 8
j + 7
j + 3
j +18
j +15
j

+ 9

1
i
1
I
j
|1
|i
|
j
,

0
+22
+10
+10
+ 3
-4
- 4
+11
+15

;
j
1
!
!
1i
ji
,
j1
i
.1i
'

I

+ 7

i

i

Not a v a i l a b l e .




+ 6
0
0

+ 3 i
- 2 ;
+ 9 1
+10 ,
+13 i
+13 |
+11 i
+ 7 •
+ 7 1
+ 6 ;
+22 j

: +20 i
1 +ii 1

+13
+10
+ 5
+16
+12
+14
+19
+lo
+17
+ 4
-.12
+ 8

1
1
i
|
j
|
ii
|I
j
j
|

+ 2
+1
+3
0
+ l
i
+ 1
0
+ 1
1
i
0

+12

1

+

i

| Inventories
j end of month,
I a t r e t a i l value
j Month
Year
i ago i

i
o i
1 -10 i
1 -* 7 1
i + 3 l
1 +ii 1
1 +17 I
i + 9 !
i +8i
1, +11 1
! + 1 1
l1 +30 1

|l
i

+ 9 |

+ 7 i

+ 7
0
+ 5
+ 8
+ 8
+10
+ 7
+ 8
+ 2
+ 2
+ 5
0
+ 5

i
1
l
i
1
1
i
i
1
i
I

+
-+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

2
8
1
3
6
1
3
8
6
7
5
5

I

+

2

I
i