Full text of G.17 Department Store Credit : May 6, 1952

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BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM
G.17.3

'

'

May 6 , 1952

DEPARTMENT STORE CREDIT - MARCH 1952
Department s t o r e i n s t a l m e n t accounts r e c e i v a b l e de-""""
c l i n e d 2 per cent from February t o March, and a t the month-end
were 8 per c e n t below the l e v e l of a year ago. March c o l l e c t i o n s
on i n s t a l m e n t accounts were up 6 per cent from the p r e v i o u s
month and amounted t o 20 per cent of accounts outstanding on
March 1 as compared with 18 per cent a month e a r l i e r .
Charge accounts a l s o d e c l i n e d during March. At the
month-end t h e y were 5 per c e n t below the February l e v e l and
2 per c e n t below March a year ago. C o l l e c t i o n s on charge
accounts were o f f 9 p e r c e n t i n March, but t h e c o l l e c t i o n
r a t i o i n c r e a s e d 3 p o i n t s t o U8 per c e n t .
A l l types of s a l e s i n c r e a s e d s u b s t a n t i a l l y from
February t o March, b u t were below year^ago f i g u r e s . However,
t h i s unfavorable y e a r - t o - y e a r comparison r e f l e c t s i n p a r t l a s t
y e a r ' s e a r l i e r E a s t e r buying#

Department S t o r e S a l e s , Accounts Receivable, and C o l l e c t i o n s
Percentage change from:
Feb. 1952
Mar. 1951
to
to
Mar. 1952
Mar. 1952

'.Item
Sales during month
Cash
Instalment
Charge accounts

'

+16 '
5
+16

"9
- 5
-12

+1

Accounts r e c e i v a b l e , end of month *
I n s t a l m e n t accounts
Charge accounts

'

-2 •
- - 5

C o l l e c t i o n s during month
. I n s t a l m e n t accounts
Charge accounts :

.

- 8
- 2

'

+ 6
- 9

- 7
- 6

R a t i o of c o l l e c t i o n s during month t o accounts r e c e i v a b l e a t beginning, of month:
Feb.
0£52 ,

Mar.
1952
I n s t a l m e n t accounts
Charge accounts

20
0

:

18
U5

Mar.
1951
•

19
5P ,


NOTE:—Figures f o r March 1952 a r e p r e l i m i n a r y and s u b j e c t t o r e v i s i o n .


?/'
G.17.3

- 2 -

,

DEPART: 2NT STORES - ILIRCH 19^2
Cash and C r e d i t S a l e s ^ by F e d e r a l Reserve D i s t r i c t s
Indexes: 19U7-19U9- average = .LOO
Charge--account s a l e r
Instalment sales
0 ash s a l e s
Mar.
Feb.
i'.ar.
.Liar.
Feb.
liar.
Feb.
i.'ar.
Liar.
1951
1952p 1952
1952p
1951
1952
1952p
1951
1952

Federal
Reserve
District
Boston
Nev: York
Philadelphia
Cleveland
Richmond
Atlanta
Chicago
S t . Louis
Minneapolis
•Kansas City Dallas
"
San Francisco

81
j 79
; 90
: 87 .
. 65
1
91
87
82
'
77
; 80
| 90
; 75

U. $ . T o t a l !

83

63
69
72
73
72
7k
75
70
79
' 71
75
63

90
91
99
92
9k
103
92
88
8ii
93
96
' 8It.

72

91

•

10L
115
111
12b
_160
108
118
116
- 173
123
" iuh
1
131
. 122

130
77
y 10L
113
121
9k
116
137
163
95
116
91
126
103
122
99
231 ' 193
123
115
121
119
118
-130
106 |

129

82
92
103
101
98
100
95
95
89
102
10ii
•90

66
77
83
83
90
66
86
81. '
101
' '88
91
79

96

83

97
ln7
115
107
109
117
112 :
102
99
118
116
105
109

Accounts Receivable and C o l l e c t i o n s , by F e d e r a l Reserve D i s t r i c t s
Federal
. Reserve
: District
Boston
'
Kevr York
Philadelphia
Cleveland
Ric:imcnd
Atlanta
Chicago
S t . Louis
1 Minneapolis
Kansas C i t y
Dallas-.
San Francisco
U. S . T o t a l

Accounts o u t s t a n d i n g , end of month
Indexes: 19b7-l a a9' 'average = 100
Charge-account
Instalment
L'.ar. Feb. r.ar 0 Liar, Feb. -Liar.
1952p 1952 1951 1952p 1952 1951
17U
IrSl
153
172
170
199175
181
161
201:
193
221

17 k
loLt
156
17U.
173
206
183
189
166
210
197
226

197
176
167
190
169
217
205
202
172
220
2L2
212

105
103
131
113
137
128
115
129
108
126
122
119

178

182

19b

118

C o l l e c t i o n ratios-*
Charge3-account
Instalment
i l a r . Feb. Liar. l i a r . Feb.
1952p 1952 1951 1952p 1952 1951

113
103
131
116
132
127
121
121
112
129
123
122

19
18
19
15
16
17
2k
20
22
21
18
19

17
15
17
17
15
16
21
20
22
19
17
19

18
18
18
19
17
16
23
19
22
21
15
20

12k- , 1 2 0

20

18

19

112
108
133
116
116
131.
122
139
118
135
127
• 127

50
k9 . kk
Uo
U5
??•
Uo
1*5
kk
50
Ii9
U8
U3
36
39
UU
36
38
k9 |! S7
53
kd | 18
k7
53 | 53
53
53
kl
51
51
k9
51
kS
kd

i*J !

•kd '

k$

;

50

:
p—rreiininsry.
'
~
-x-—Collections during month as percentage of accounts r e c e i v a b l e a t beginning of
month. • •
'
.
NOTE:—These data are based on r e p o r t s of about 550 l a r g e department s t o r e s . r e p o r t ing s a l e s by type of t r a n s a c t i o n , about U75 having charge accounts and
about 375 having i n s t a l m e n t a c c o u n t s . Back f i g u r e s may be obtained on

r e q u e s t from t h e D i v i s i o n of Research and S t a t i s t i c s .
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