Census Bureau 

MONTHLY RETAIL TRADE SURVEY

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1996 Retail Inventories and Inventories/Sales Ratios

In millions of dollars

SIC Code Kind of Business                        
  RETAIL INVENTORIES, NOT ADJUSTED                        
    Jan. 1996 Feb. 1996 Mar. 1996 Apr. 1996 May. 1996 Jun. 1996 Jul. 1996 Aug. 1996 Sep. 1996 Oct. 1996 Nov. 1996 Dec. 1996
  RETAIL INVENTORIES, TOTAL 302,278 306,653 308,481 310,297 309,489 306,026 305,594 308,388 318,751 339,607 343,696 314,819
  TOTAL (EXCL. AUTOMOTIVE GROUP) 211,924 214,800 218,563 221,020 219,967 217,438 222,069 225,610 233,992 250,506 252,624 220,954
  DURABLE GOODS, TOTAL 164,328 166,868 166,734 167,926 168,036 166,104 161,644 161,655 165,744 175,935 178,060 171,195
52 BUILDING MATERIALS GROUP STORES 21,824 22,458 23,511 23,781 23,815 23,646 23,258 22,687 22,638 22,944 22,848 22,739
55 EX 554 AUTOMOTIVE GROUP 90,354 91,853 89,918 89,277 89,522 88,588 83,525 82,778 84,759 89,101 91,072 93,865
57 FURNITURE GROUP STORES 23,325 23,478 23,710 24,339 24,330 23,890 24,120 24,775 25,973 28,291 28,267 24,444
  NONDURABLE GOODS, TOTAL 137,950 139,785 141,747 142,371 141,453 139,922 143,950 146,733 153,007 163,672 165,636 143,624
53 GENERAL MERCHANDISE GROUP STORES 53,620 54,767 56,244 56,695 56,320 55,507 56,983 58,927 62,912 68,622 69,939 54,837
531 DEPT. STORES (EXCL. LEASED DEPTS.) 42,737 44,026 45,238 45,640 45,304 44,591 45,736 47,497 50,605 55,281 56,657 44,329
54 FOOD GROUP STORES 27,603 27,232 27,397 27,478 27,317 27,172 27,355 27,232 27,761 29,080 29,769 29,177
56 APPAREL & ACCESSORY STORES 20,293 21,374 22,247 21,799 21,301 21,111 22,378 23,149 23,828 25,611 26,042 20,843
  RETAIL INVENTORIES, ADJUSTED 1/                        
  RETAIL INVENTORIES, TOTAL 311,076 311,360 308,750 308,847 311,246 311,887 315,792 317,499 318,049 320,678 319,248 319,985
  TOTAL (EXCL. AUTOMOTIVE GROUP) 222,608 223,228 223,196 224,101 224,494 224,148 226,520 226,813 226,825 229,034 228,848 229,032
  DURABLE GOODS, TOTAL 165,914 165,945 163,913 163,714 165,791 166,561 168,678 170,175 170,779 172,242 170,354 170,775
52 BUILDING MATERIALS GROUP STORES 22,545 22,503 22,716 22,757 22,833 23,182 23,281 23,032 23,100 23,223 23,434 23,613
55 EX 554 AUTOMOTIVE GROUP 88,468 88,132 85,554 84,746 86,752 87,739 89,272 90,686 91,224 91,644 90,400 90,953
57 FURNITURE GROUP STORES 24,171 24,636 24,621 24,963 25,186 24,860 25,073 25,229 25,266 25,419 24,774 24,641
  NONDURABLE GOODS, TOTAL 145,162 145,415 144,837 145,133 145,455 145,326 147,114 147,324 147,270 148,436 148,894 149,210
53 GENERAL MERCHANDISE GROUP STORES 58,396 58,163 58,150 58,087 58,204 58,443 59,075 59,511 59,299 59,363 59,407 59,046
531 DEPT. STORES (EXCL. LEASED DEPTS.) 46,605 46,638 46,733 46,667 46,753 47,037 47,444 47,977 47,786 47,862 48,055 47,820
54 FOOD GROUP STORES 27,426 27,568 27,530 27,757 27,789 27,603 27,873 27,899 27,979 28,253 28,358 28,456
56 APPAREL AND ACCESSORY STORES 22,674 22,666 22,655 22,176 22,074 22,129 22,311 22,431 22,269 22,605 23,128 22,879
  INVENTORIES/SALES, RATIOS NOT ADJUSTED                        
  RETAIL TRADE, TOTAL 1.71 1.66 1.51 1.53 1.42 1.46 1.46 1.42 1.59 1.59 1.59 1.26
  TOTAL (EXCL. AUTOMOTIVE GROUP) 1.59 1.58 1.46 1.47 1.36 1.39 1.42 1.38 1.55 1.56 1.50 1.07
  DURABLE GOODS, TOTAL 2.33 2.21 1.97 1.97 1.81 1.88 1.83 1.80 2.01 2.02 2.16 1.86
52 BUILDING MATERIALS GROUP STORES 2.60 2.62 2.31 1.91 1.71 1.75 1.75 1.76 1.86 1.79 2.02 2.11
55 EX 554 AUTOMOTIVE GROUP 2.08 1.91 1.66 1.70 1.58 1.66 1.56 1.54 1.71 1.70 1.96 2.10
57 FURNITURE GROUP STORES 2.32 2.40 2.20 2.36 2.26 2.24 2.23 2.16 2.39 2.50 2.26 1.56
  NONDURABLE GOODS, TOTAL 1.30 1.28 1.19 1.21 1.12 1.16 1.19 1.15 1.30 1.30 1.25 0.91
53 GENERAL MERCHANDISE GROUP STORES 2.87 2.66 2.41 2.41 2.17 2.23 2.40 2.23 2.64 2.64 2.25 1.22
531 DEPT. STORES (EXCL. LEASED DEPTS.) 2.99 2.77 2.49 2.49 2.25 2.31 2.49 2.30 2.71 2.73 2.30 1.23
54 FOOD GROUP STORES 0.84 0.85 0.80 0.83 0.77 0.79 0.77 0.76 0.83 0.84 0.85 0.78
56 APPAREL AND ACCESSORY STORES 3.07 2.85 2.48 2.38 2.23 2.33 2.55 2.19 2.59 2.64 2.38 1.36
  INVENTORIES/SALES, RATIOS ADJUSTED 1/                        
  RETAIL TRADE, TOTAL 1.54 1.53 1.50 1.50 1.50 1.50 1.52 1.53 1.51 1.51 1.50 1.50
  TOTAL (EXCL. AUTOMOTIVE GROUP) 1.46 1.46 1.44 1.43 1.43 1.42 1.44 1.44 1.43 1.43 1.42 1.41
  DURABLE GOODS, TOTAL 2.04 2.00 1.95 1.95 1.96 1.96 1.98 2.02 1.98 1.99 1.98 1.99
52 BUILDING MATERIALS GROUP STORES 2.06 2.05 2.06 1.98 1.98 1.93 1.95 1.94 1.94 1.94 1.95 1.97
55 EX 554 AUTOMOTIVE GROUP 1.81 1.74 1.68 1.70 1.72 1.74 1.77 1.82 1.77 1.77 1.77 1.78
57 FURNITURE GROUP STORES 2.23 2.26 2.19 2.21 2.23 2.21 2.24 2.24 2.19 2.23 2.19 2.19
  NONDURABLE GOODS, TOTAL 1.21 1.21 1.19 1.18 1.18 1.18 1.19 1.19 1.18 1.18 1.18 1.17
53 GENERAL MERCHANDISE GROUP STORES 2.32 2.29 2.30 2.25 2.24 2.26 2.27 2.27 2.25 2.23 2.23 2.20
531 DEPT. STORES (EXCL. LEASED DEPTS.) 2.37 2.36 2.38 2.31 2.30 2.33 2.33 2.34 2.31 2.29 2.30 2.27
54 FOOD GROUP STORES 0.80 0.81 0.81 0.81 0.81 0.80 0.81 0.81 0.81 0.81 0.81 0.81
56 APPAREL AND ACCESSORY STORES 2.41 2.36 2.39 2.30 2.30 2.31 2.33 2.35 2.29 2.30 2.40 2.37

1/ = Inventory data adjusted for seasonal variations; sales adjusted for seasonal variations, holiday, and trading day differences, but not for price changes.

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Source: Monthly Retail Surveys Branch, U.S. Census Bureau | Last Revised: May 18, 2000