Full text of G.17 Department Store Credit : April 8, 1955

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BOARD OF GOVERNORS ' OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM
G.17

.
„

April 8, 1955
DEPARTMENT STORE CREDIT ~ FEBRUARY 1955

Instalment accounts outstanding at department stores
declined 3 per cent during February, when some decrease-is
usual. Balances outstanding at the end of the month were 10 per
cent above a year earlier. "Collections during the month
amounted to lli per cent of first-of-month balances, the same
as both a month ago and a year ago. ^
Charge accounts declined seasonally during the month.
Balances outstanding at the end of February were lJU per cent
below the preceding month, but 1 per cent above a year ago.,
The charge-account collection ratio, estimated at k3 per cent,
was 1 point below January and the same as a year ago.

•z

Sales of all types in February were lower than in the
preceding month •— cash sales by ,12 per cent, charge-account
sales by 10' per cent, and instalment sales by 9 per cent.
Compared with a year ago cash sales were down 3 per cent, while
charge-account sales were unchanged and instalment sales were
up 13 per cent.
. '
Changes in Department Stpre Sales and Accounts Receivable

Item

Sales during month:. Total
Cash
Charge
Instalment

• '-

Percentage change from:
Jan. 1955 | Feb. 195U
to
j
to
Feb. 1955 1 Feb. 1955

.

Accounts receivable, end of month: Charge
Instalment

-11
-12
-10 •
- 9

i

0
- 3
0 "
+13
+ l
+10

-111
-3

Collection Ratios and Percentage Distribution of Sales
February
1955

January
. 1955

Collection ratios 1/: Charge accounts
. Instalment accounts

U3
1U

lh

Percentage distribution of sales; Cash
Charge
. Instalment

U5
13
12

L5
h3
12

Item

•

( February
1 195k
!
i
•

w
*
U6
' 13
11

1/ Collections during month as.a percentage of accounts receivable at. beginDigitizedning
for FRASER
of month.


DEPART:IE:JT STORE CREDIT - FEBRUARY 1 9 #
Sales by type
(Percentage changes)
Federal
Reserve
District
.Boston
Ke- York
Philadelphia
Cleveland
Richmond

Instalment
sales
Jan.'55 Feb.'5k Jan.'55 Febc 5h Jan.'55 Feb.' 5U Jan.'55 Feb.'5L
to
to
to
. to
to
to •
to
to
Feb.'# Feb.'5< Feb.'55 Feb.'55 Feb*'55 Feb.'55 Feb.'55 Feb.'55
Total

v

•-17- ^ + 1
- 3
- 3
0
- 5
+ 3
-13
+ 1
- h
+ 3
- 3
- 8
- 1
- 6
0
- 2
- 3
-13
+ 2
-12
+ 3
-111

Chicago
St»- 'Louis
.'.iir.noapolis
K':::sas City
Delias
San Francisco
. U. S. Total

Charge-account

Cash ;

-11

0

-15
- 3
- 7
-13
- h.
- 3
- 8
-10
- 7
-12
-10
• -14'

i

-12

-3
- L
- h
- 2
- 1
- T.
- 3
- 2
- 6
- 6
- 2
+ 1
- 3

-17
- 8
- 5
-10
+ 3
- 1

+
+
+
+

- - 3
0
--7
-12
-11

-

-10

+

2
k
1
2
1
5
0
1
3
0
1
2

-23
- 8
+ 3
- 5
-19
- 6
-15
- 7
+11
-15
-lb
-2 h

+12
+ 6
+16
+25
+ 8
+ 8
+ 9
+23
+ 3
+13
. +31
+19

0

- 9

>13

Accornts receivable,, end of month
(Percentage changes)
Federal
Reserve
District
Boston
llev; York
Philadelphia•
Cleveland
Richmond
Atlanta
Chicago
St. Louis
Minneapolis
Kansas City
Dallas
San Francisco
U . S . Total




Charge ,
accounts
Instalment
Jan.'55 Feb.'5U Jan.'55 Feb.'5L
to
to
to
to
Feb,'55 Feb.155 Feb.*55 Feb.'55
-17
-1U
-lU
-17
-13 .
• - 9
-13
-U .
-12
-16
-18
-17

-0
+ 8
- h
- 3
+ 1
+16
0
+ 3
- 1
+ h
+ 3
+ 2

- 1
- 3
C
- 3
- 3
- 3
- h
- h
+ 3
- 3
- 2
- 3

+11
. +10
+19
+ 5
+ 7
- +16
+ 6
+10
+33
+ 8
+12
+21

'-lit

+ 1

- 3

+10

'