ADVANCE MONTHLY SALES FOR RETAIL AND FOOD SERVICES SUMMARY - September 2001 ************************************************************************************************************************* Special notice: Because of the terrorist attacks of September 11, the Census Bureau altered an option in its seasonal adjustment procedures to produce the seasonally adjusted data for the September release. This alteration ensured that the published seasonally adjusted values fully included the effects of the attacks and eliminated the distortion that September’s untypical events would otherwise have had on seasonal factors for September and surrounding months. The seasonal adjustment option was used whenever, for a kind of business covered by this report, the appropriate statistical test showed that the unadjusted September value was not in a typical range. ************************************************************************************************************************* The Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce announced today that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for September, adjusted for seasonal, holiday, and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $286.5 billion, a decrease of 2.4 percent (±1.0%) from the previous month, but up 0.2 percent (±1.7%) from September 2000. Total sales for the July through September period were up 2.4 percent (±1.5%) from the same period a year ago. The July to August 2001 percent change was revised from +0.3 percent (±1.0%) to +0.4 percent (±0.2%). Retail trade sales were down 2.1 percent (±1.0%) from August, but were 0.1 percent (±1.7%) above last year. Health and personal care stores were up 8.0 percent (±3.6%) from last year and sales of building materials and garden equipment and supplies dealers increased 5.4 percent (±5.9%) from September a year ago. Clothing and clothing accessories were 6.6 percent (±3.5%) below September 2000 and motor vehicle and parts dealers were down 1.7 percent (±3.5%) from last year. The advance estimates are based on a small subsample of the Bureau's full retail sales sample. Estimates from the advance and the subsequent full survey can differ because of the earlier reporting in the advance and because of sampling variability present in both surveys. The Advance Monthly Retail Sales Report for October is scheduled to be released November 14, 2001 at 8:30 a.m. TABLE 1A. ESTIMATED ADVANCE MONTHLY SALES FOR RETAIL AND FOOD SERVICES--September 2001 Adjusted for Seasonal, Holiday and Trading-day Differences (Millions of dollars) 2001 2001 2001 2000 2000 NAICS Kind of business Sep Aug Jul code adv. prel. final Sep(r) Aug(r) Retail & food services, total.................... 286,515 293,435 292,228 286,055 282,905 Total (excl. motor vehicle & parts)............ 217,505 221,123 219,805 215,866 213,895 Retail ....................................... 260,660 266,201 265,308 260,286 257,501 GAFO............................................. (*) 75,388 75,071 74,219 73,405 441 Motor vehicle & parts dealers.................... 69,010 72,312 72,423 70,189 69,010 4411,4412 Auto & other motor veh. dealers................. 63,072 66,087 66,237 63,892 62,862 442 Furniture & home furnishings stores.............. 7,536 7,654 7,648 7,710 7,704 443 Electronics & appliance stores.................... 7,190 7,312 7,247 7,397 7,191 44311 Appl., T.V., & camera.......................... (*) 5,248 5,193 5,103 5,004 44312 Computer & software stores...................... (*) 2,064 2,054 2,294 2,187 444 Building material & garden eq. & supplies dealers 24,232 24,778 24,516 22,982 23,041 4441 Building mat. & supplies dealers................ (*) 21,779 21,361 19,776 19,878 445 Food & beverage stores........................... 40,365 40,199 40,048 38,987 38,933 4451 Grocery stores.................................. 36,488 36,309 36,152 35,315 35,285 4453 Beer, wine & liquor stores...................... (*) 2,503 2,510 2,430 2,426 446 Health & personal care stores.................... 14,611 14,489 14,444 13,534 13,375 44611 Pharmacies & drug stores........................ (*) 12,484 12,471 11,521 11,447 447 Gasoline stations................................ 20,547 19,957 19,843 20,864 20,400 448 Clothing & clothing accessories stores........... 13,361 14,200 14,329 14,309 14,119 44811 Men's clothing stores........................... (*) 887 877 905 889 44812 Women's clothing stores......................... (*) 2,634 2,602 2,783 2,722 4482 Shoe stores..................................... (*) 1,852 1,868 1,848 1,848 451 Sporting goods, hobby, book & music stores....... 7,321 7,432 7,211 6,810 6,636 452 General merchandise stores....................... 34,810 34,948 34,914 34,452 34,236 4521 Department stores (ex. L.D.).................... 19,306 19,615 19,618 19,975 19,771 4521 Department stores (incl. L.D.).................. (*) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 4529 Other general merchandise stores................ (*) 15,333 15,296 14,477 14,465 45291 Warehouse clubs & superstores.................. (*) 12,166 12,128 11,572 11,586 45299 All other gen. merchandise stores.............. (*) 3,167 3,168 2,905 2,879 453 Miscellaneous store retailers.................... 9,434 9,616 9,517 9,124 8,902 454 Nonstore retailers............................... 12,243 13,304 13,168 13,928 13,954 4541 Electronic shopping & mail-order houses......... (*) 9,359 9,282 9,363 9,492 722 Food services & drinking places.................. 25,855 27,234 26,920 25,769 25,404 (*) Advance estimates are not available from the subsample panel for these kinds of business. (NA) Not available. (r) Revised. TABLE 1B. ESTIMATED ADVANCE MONTHLY SALES FOR RETAIL AND FOOD SERVICES--September 2001 Not adjusted for Seasonal, Holiday and Trading-day Differences (Millions of dollars) 9 month total Change 2001 2001 2001 2000 2000 NAICS Kind of business 2001 from Sep Aug Jul code 2000 adv. prel. final Sep Aug Retail & food services, total.................... 2,563,470 2.8 272,896 306,951 289,950 278,259 293,608 Total (excl. motor vehicle & parts)............ 1,908,052 3.0 207,019 227,704 215,377 208,946 218,245 Retail ....................................... 2,323,701 2.6 247,377 278,246 262,007 252,542 267,010 GAFO............................................. (*) (*) (*) 77,344 68,960 69,380 74,224 441 Motor vehicle & parts dealers.................... 655,418 2.0 65,877 79,247 74,573 69,313 75,363 4411,4412 Auto & other motor veh. dealers................. 600,226 2.3 59,981 72,431 68,158 62,934 68,582 44111 New car dealers................................ (*) (*) (*) 62,040 57,600 54,472 59,349 4413 Auto parts, acc. & tire stores.................. (*) (*) (*) 6,816 6,415 6,379 6,781 442 Furniture & home furnishings stores.............. 66,484 -0.7 7,235 8,021 7,510 7,587 8,035 4421 Furniture stores................................ (*) (*) (*) 4,268 4,045 4,125 4,266 4422 Home furnishings stores......................... (*) (*) (*) 3,753 3,465 3,462 3,769 443 Electronics & appliance stores.................... 60,595 -2.1 6,599 7,452 6,789 6,940 7,264 44311 Appl., T.V., & camera.......................... (*) (*) (*) 5,316 4,871 4,664 5,014 44312 Computer & software stores...................... (*) (*) (*) 2,136 1,918 2,276 2,250 444 Building material & garden eq. & supplies dealers 221,853 5.4 23,498 26,271 25,980 22,839 24,468 4441 Building mat. & supplies dealers................ (*) (*) (*) 23,761 23,027 20,191 21,786 445 Food & beverage stores........................... 355,077 3.3 39,406 41,278 40,711 38,573 39,662 4451 Grocery stores.................................. 321,972 3.0 35,758 37,326 36,767 35,032 36,026 4453 Beer, wine & liquor stores...................... (*) (*) (*) 2,576 2,540 2,377 2,441 446 Health & personal care stores.................... 125,936 8.6 13,603 14,518 13,967 12,857 13,281 44611 Pharmacies & drug stores........................ (*) (*) (*) 12,409 11,985 10,910 11,264 447 Gasoline stations................................ 184,681 1.1 20,362 21,434 20,915 21,094 21,644 448 Clothing & clothing accessories stores........... 115,786 1.4 12,341 14,993 12,765 13,464 14,674 44811 Men's clothing stores........................... (*) (*) (*) 900 759 845 883 44812 Women's clothing stores......................... (*) (*) (*) 2,674 2,298 2,730 2,711 44814 Family clothing stores.......................... (*) (*) (*) 5,141 4,464 4,488 4,981 4482 Shoe stores..................................... (*) (*) (*) 2,328 1,819 1,791 2,284 451 Sporting goods, hobby, book & music stores....... 58,727 8.0 6,823 7,752 6,462 6,482 6,872 452 General merchandise stores....................... 286,263 2.5 31,503 35,088 32,191 31,420 33,722 4521 Department stores (ex. L.D.).................... 159,777 -0.3 17,246 19,719 17,585 18,064 19,396 4521 Department stores (incl. L.D.).................. (*) (*) (*) 20,097 17,916 18,441 19,801 4529 Other general merchandise stores................ (*) (*) (*) 15,369 14,606 13,356 14,326 45291 Warehouse clubs & superstores.................. (*) (*) (*) 12,215 11,558 10,669 11,482 45299 All other gen. merchandise stores.............. (*) (*) (*) 3,154 3,048 2,687 2,844 453 Miscellaneous store retailers.................... 81,453 2.9 8,885 9,887 9,070 8,880 9,167 454 Nonstore retailers............................... 111,428 -2.1 11,245 12,305 11,074 13,093 12,858 4541 Electronic shopping & mail-order houses......... (*) (*) (*) 8,835 8,057 9,073 8,970 722 Food services & drinking places.................. 239,769 4.4 25,519 28,705 27,943 25,717 26,598 (*) Advance estimates are not available from the subsample panel for these kinds of business. (NA) Not available. (r) Revised. TABLE 2. PERCENT CHANGE IN ESTIMATED ADVANCE MONTHLY SALES FOR RETAIL AND FOOD SERVICES--September 2001 Adjusted for Seasonal, Holiday and Trading-day Differences (Percent Change) Sep Aug 2001 2001 adv. prel. from-- from-- NAICS Kind of business Aug Sep Jul Aug CODE 2001 2000 2001 2000 Prel. Final Final Final Retail & food Services, total.................... -2.4 +0.2 +0.4 +3.7 Total (excl. motor vehicle & parts ).......... -1.6 +0.8 +0.6 +3.4 Retail .................................. -2.1 +0.1 +0.3 +3.4 441 Motor vehicle & parts dealers.................... -4.6 -1.7 -0.2 +4.8 4411,4412 Auto & other motor veh. dealers............... -4.6 -1.3 -0.2 +5.1 442 Furniture & home furnishings stores.............. -1.5 -2.3 +0.1 -0.6 443 Electronics & appliance stores................... -1.7 -2.8 +0.9 +1.7 444 Building material & garden eq. & supplies dealers -2.2 +5.4 +1.1 +7.5 445 Food & beverage stores........................... +0.4 +3.5 +0.4 +3.3 4451 Grocery stores.................................. +0.5 +3.3 +0.4 +2.9 446 Health & personal care stores.................... +0.8 +8.0 +0.3 +8.3 447 Gasoline stations................................ +3.0 -1.5 +0.6 -2.2 448 Clothing & clothing accessories stores........... -5.9 -6.6 -0.9 +0.6 451 Sporting goods, hobby, book & music stores........ -1.5 +7.5 +3.1 +12.0 452 General merchandise stores....................... -0.4 +1.0 +0.1 +2.1 4521 Department stores (ex. L.D.).................... -1.6 -3.3 0.0 -0.8 453 Miscellaneous stores retailers................... -1.9 +3.4 +1.0 +8.0 454 Nonstore retailers............................... -8.0 -12.1 +1.0 -4.7 722 Food services & drinking Places.................. -5.1 +0.3 +1.2 +7.2 Not Adjusted for Seasonal, Holiday and Trading-day Differences (Percent Change) Sep Aug 2001 2001 adv. prel. from-- from-- NAICS Kind of business Aug Sep Jul Aug CODE 2001 2000 2001 2000 Prel. Final Final Final Retail & food Services, total.................... -11.1 -1.9 +5.9 +4.5 Total (excl. motor vehicle & parts ).......... -9.1 -0.9 +5.7 +4.3 Retail .................................. -11.1 -2.0 +6.2 +4.2 441 Motor vehicle & parts dealers.................... -16.9 -5.0 +6.3 +5.2 4411,4412 Auto & other motor veh. dealers................ -17.2 -4.7 +6.3 +5.6 442 Furniture & home furnishings stores.............. -9.8 -4.6 +6.8 -0.2 443 Electronics & appliance stores................... -11.4 -4.9 +9.8 +2.6 444 Building material & garden eq. & supplies dealers -10.6 +2.9 +1.1 +7.4 445 Food & beverage stores........................... -4.5 +2.2 +1.4 +4.1 4451 Grocery stores.................................. -4.2 +2.1 +1.5 +3.6 446 Health & personal care stores.................... -6.3 +5.8 +3.9 +9.3 447 Gasoline stations................................ -5.0 -3.5 +2.5 -1.0 448 Clothing & clothing accessories stores........... -17.7 -8.3 +17.5 +2.2 451 Sporting goods, hobby, book & music stores........ -12.0 +5.3 +20.0 +12.8 452 General merchandise stores....................... -10.2 +0.3 +9.0 +4.1 4521 Department stores (ex. L.D.).................... -12.5 -4.5 +12.1 +1.7 453 Miscellaneous stores retailers................... -10.1 +0.1 +9.0 +7.9 454 Nonstore retailers............................... -8.6 -14.1 +11.1 -4.3 722 Food services & drinking Places.................. -11.1 -0.8 +2.7 +7.9 (NA) Not Available. SOURCE:Advance Monthly Sales for Retail Trade and Food Services--SEPTEMBER 2001 (Press Release available without charge from Public Information Office, Bureau of the Census Washington, D.C. 20233). Survey methodology and measures of sampling variability are documented in the Advance Press Release. Questions concerning this report should be directed to Mr. Scott Scheleur (301) 457-2713/2666.