Full text of G.17 Department Store Credit : July 9, 1952

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BCARD OF GOVERNORS GF 'THE FEDERAL-RESERVE SYSTEM '
G.17.3

'

. July 9, 1 9 #

DEPARTIO.IT STORE .CREDIT - IvM 1952

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Instalment accounts* outstanding at-department stores • on Hay 31 -were practically unchanged -from the preceding monthend, Balances were 1 per cent .above those of April 30, but were
1 per cent below those of Hay a year ago. Collections on 'instalment accounts were also unchanged• from :the preceding month.- They
amounted to 19 per cent of'balances outstanding at the beginning
of the month, 1 point above both a month ago and -a year ago. "The
'average repayment period of-these accounts is approximately 10
months.
,
. , .
Charge-accounts outstanding also increased 1 per cent
during Hay, and at the end of the month were 3 per cent above the
year-ago level. Collections, on charge accounts increased 6 per
cent from April to Hay, and the collection ratio of U? per cent
was 1 point above April but 2 points below a year ago. These
accounts were being repaid in an average period of about 63 days.
Cash and instalment sales increased 1 per cent and 16
per cent, respectively, but charge-account sales, dropped 1 per
cent in May. Compared with a year ago, instalment sales were up
21 per cent, cash sales were unchanged, and charge-accountTsales—
were down 2 per cent.
.
Department Store Sales., Accounts-Receivable, and Collections

Item

Percentage change from:
Hay 1951
Apr. 1952
to
to
Hay 1952
May 1952

1

Sales during month
Cash
Instalment
Charge accounts

\

1

0
+21
- 2

+ 1:
+.1

- 1
+ 3

7

Accounts receivable, end of month , Instalment accounts
Charge accounts
Collections during month
Instalment accounts
Charge accounts

+ 1
+16

. ^

'

0
+ 6

-

•

^

- 6
+ 1

Ratio of collections during month to accounts receivable atL beginning of month:

. May .
1952

Apr.
1952

L7

U6

18:

Instalment accounts

Charge accounts

http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/
Note:—Figures for May 1952
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Hay
'1951
r 18

1

h9

are preliminary'and subject to revision.

•

G.17.3

' LJ "* £

1. C *o

Soston
I lev,- York
Philadelphia
Cleveland
'Richmond
Atlanta
Chicago
St. Louis
Minneapolis ;
Kansas City
Dallas
San.Francisco
.

. U . S . Total

Indexes: 19U7-1:?i;9 average = in?
Cash sales
Charge-account sales
Lment sales
.::ay
Hay
Aor.
l:ay
May
-l-pr.
Apr.
May
1952p
1951
.1952
1952p
1952D 1952
_1951
1952
1951

9k

91
.85
- 91
82
inS
l-U
93
92
91

8Ii
91
92
io5
101
88
87
12L
90
96
81

?h

97.
85

91

!

90 .

90
91
91
92
103
r 91
91
90
38
90
93
83 v
91

'

108
12k
106.
129
159
186
136
123
192
157 .
206158
137

105
111
97
127
112
130
120
121
11U
131
135

95
116
96
117
128
rll5
111
96
1U7
112
108
115

9U
96
111
-109
113
115
108
1^8
115
116
111
loo

• 118

112

106

lhl

97
1^5
110
ill
111
107
108
103
111
109
112
• 100

103
103
lib
112
110
rl?3
113
107
116
115
111
101

107

109

.

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Accounts Receivable and Collections,'by Federal Reserve Districts

Federal
Reserve
District

Boston
I lev; York
Philadelphia
'Cleveland
Richmond
Atlanta
Chicago
St."Louis
Minneapolis
Kansas City
Dallas
San Francisco
U. S . Total

Accounts outstanding, end of month
Indexes: 19^7-191:9 average = 100
Instalment
Char-7'3-account
-ay
Apr. May
Mav. Anr. Kay
1952p 1952 1951 1952p 1952 1951

Collection ratios-"mstalrnent
Hay
r-.nr. May
1 # # 1952 1951

175
160
1#
.
168
166
202
171
180 150
200
20L
220

173
163
151
170
165
197,
170
176
153
200
191

2ih

176
167
155
178
158
201
186
185
155
20l
221
188

112 116
113
108 105
108
133
133 126
117
117 116
1L0
1L0 130
133 , 131 122
118
118 120
130 121
133llli .117
Ill
128 129
133
126
125 123
122 115
125

16
16
18
17
16
16
23
21
21
19
17
19

176

175

178

122

118

19

121

Charge3-account
May . Apr. M a y
!952p 1952 1951

• 18
17
16
16 •
17
17
17 • 17
16
17
16
16
21
22
19
19
20
21
•
19
•19
17. 16
20
19
18

18

15

h2

h.6
U8

hi

38
5U

hi

56

UU
Ul
U3
U6
39
36
53
U5
55

U5
U6
U8

h9
. hO
. h2
57

h9

18

h9

SU8

52
50
50
51

hi

U6

h9

p — ? r eliminary.r--Revisedt
— C o l l e c t i o n s during month as percentage of accounts receivable at beginning of
month.
. . .
--These data are based on reports of about 5 5 n larqe department stores report' ,
ing sales by type of transaction, about hi? having charge accounts and
about 375 having instalment accounts, Back figures may be obtained on
request from the Division of Research and Statistics.