***************************************************************************************************************** ADVANCE MONTHLY SALES FOR RETAIL AND FOOD SERVICES SUMMARY - October 2003 ***************************************************************************************************************** Notice of New Sample: The advance estimates in this report are the first estimates from a new sample, which was selected from the full monthly sample. For more information on the new sample, see the FAQ on our web site at http://www.census.gov/svsd/www/advfaq.html. The Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce announced today that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for October, adjusted for seasonal, holiday, and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $318.5 billion, a decrease of 0.3 percent (±0.9%) from the previous month, but up 6.1 percent (±1.0%) from October 2002. Total sales for the August through October 2003 period were up 6.4 percent (±0.4%) from the same period a year ago. The August to September 2003 percent change was revised from -0.2 percent (±1.0%) to -0.4 percent (±0.3%). Retail trade sales were down 0.5 percent (±1.0%) from September, but were 5.7 percent (±1.0%) above last year. Building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers were up 12.5 percent (±2.2%) from October 2002 and sales of furniture and home furnishings stores were up 10.9 percent (±3.8%) from last year. The advance estimates are based on a subsample of the Bureau’s full retail and food services sample. A stratified random sampling method is used to select approximately 5,000 retail and food services firms whose sales are then weighted and benchmarked to represent the complete universe of over three million retail and food services firms. Responding firms account for approximately 65% of the MARTS dollar volume estimate. For an explanation of the measures of sampling variability included in this report, please see the Reliability of Estimates section on the last page of this publication. The Advance Monthly Sales for Retail and Food Services for November is scheduled to be released December 11, 2003 at 8:30 a.m. TABLE 1A. ESTIMATED ADVANCE MONTHLY SALES FOR RETAIL AND FOOD SERVICES, BY KIND OF BUSINESS--October 2003 Data adjusted for seasonal variations, holiday, and trading-day differences, but not for price changes. (Millions of dollars) 2003 2003 2003 2002 2002 NAICS Kind of Business Oct Sep Aug Code adv. prel. final Oct(r) Sep(r) Retail & food services, total.................... 318,490 319,438 320,703 300,048 298,239 Total (excl. motor vehicle & parts)............ 243,974 243,493 243,088 229,680 227,362 Retail ....................................... 287,835 289,362 290,121 272,321 270,361 GAFO............................................. (*) 82,517 82,464 79,055 77,480 441 Motor vehicle & parts dealers.................... 74,516 75,945 77,615 70,368 70,877 4411,4412 Auto & other motor veh. dealers................. 67,888 69,288 71,066 64,138 64,625 442 Furniture & home furnishings stores.............. 8,702 8,615 8,530 7,850 7,936 443 Electronics & appliance stores.................... 8,123 8,123 8,090 7,534 7,454 44311,13 Appl., T.V. & camera........................... (*) 5,856 5,874 5,485 5,434 44312 Computer & software stores...................... (*) 2,267 2,216 2,049 2,020 444 Building material & garden eq. & supplies dealers 28,244 27,790 27,433 25,113 25,217 4441 Building mat. & supplies dealers................ (*) 24,331 24,002 22,112 22,254 445 Food & beverage stores........................... 42,488 42,892 42,781 41,080 40,855 4451 Grocery stores.................................. 38,076 38,529 38,459 37,097 36,873 4453 Beer, wine & liquor stores...................... (*) 2,792 2,761 2,591 2,598 446 Health & personal care stores.................... 16,300 16,219 16,177 15,254 15,258 44611 Pharmacies & drug stores........................ (*) 13,952 13,813 12,959 12,981 447 Gasoline stations................................ 21,868 22,231 22,139 20,901 20,372 448 Clothing & clothing accessories stores........... 15,147 15,126 14,989 14,484 13,860 44811 Men's clothing stores........................... (*) 861 869 819 808 44812 Women's clothing stores......................... (*) 2,981 2,906 2,817 2,764 4482 Shoe stores..................................... (*) 1,839 1,849 1,817 1,720 451 Sporting goods, hobby, book & music stores....... 6,631 6,777 6,993 6,954 6,864 452 General merchandise stores....................... 40,543 40,534 40,436 38,767 37,925 4521 Department stores (ex. L.D.).................... 18,322 18,457 18,482 19,073 18,577 4521 Department stores (incl. L.D.).................. (*) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 4529 Other general merchandise stores................ (*) 22,077 21,954 19,694 19,348 45291 Warehouse clubs & superstores.................. (*) 18,728 18,634 16,590 16,311 45299 All other gen. merchandise stores.............. (*) 3,349 3,320 3,104 3,037 453 Miscellaneous store retailers.................... 8,744 8,696 8,796 8,791 8,816 454 Nonstore retailers............................... 16,529 16,414 16,142 15,225 14,927 4541 Electronic shopping & mail-order houses......... (*) 10,432 10,296 9,738 9,627 722 Food services & drinking places.................. 30,655 30,076 30,582 27,727 27,878 (*) Advance estimates are not available from the subsample panel for these business classifications. (NA) Not available. (r) Revised. TABLE 1B. ESTIMATED ADVANCE MONTHLY SALES FOR RETAIL AND FOOD SERVICES, BY KIND OF BUSINESS--October 2003 Data not adjusted for seasonal variations, holiday, trading-day differences, and price changes. (In Millions of dollars and Annual Percent Change) 10 month total % Chg. 2003 2003 2003 2002 2002 NAICS Kind of Business 2003 from Oct Sep Aug Code 2002 adv. prel. final Oct Sep Retail & food services, total.................... 3,088,872 5.4 318,830 308,734 332,178 298,773 283,660 Total (excl. motor vehicle & parts)............ 2,324,482 5.3 245,477 232,930 248,550 229,121 215,364 Retail ....................................... 2,791,138 5.3 287,654 279,350 299,455 270,824 256,479 GAFO............................................. (*) (*) (*) 74,874 84,326 75,626 70,194 441 Motor vehicle & parts dealers.................... 764,390 5.9 73,353 75,804 83,628 69,652 68,296 4411,4412 Auto & other motor veh. dealers................. 698,578 6.1 66,394 69,080 76,680 63,048 62,169 442 Furniture & home furnishings stores.............. 80,596 5.2 8,867 8,365 8,726 7,968 7,547 4421 Furniture stores................................ (*) (*) (*) 4,457 4,735 4,319 4,174 4422 Home furnishings stores......................... (*) (*) (*) 3,908 3,991 3,649 3,373 443 Electronics & appliance stores.................... 72,636 4.3 7,631 7,553 8,160 7,032 6,821 44311,13 Appl., T.V. & camera........................... (*) (*) (*) 5,259 5,897 4,958 4,831 44312 Computer & software stores...................... (*) (*) (*) 2,294 2,263 2,074 1,990 444 Building material & garden eq. & supplies dealers 271,970 6.5 29,921 28,187 27,940 26,687 24,760 4441 Building mat. & supplies dealers................ (*) (*) (*) 25,572 25,130 24,058 22,499 445 Food & beverage stores........................... 418,507 3.5 42,498 41,327 43,758 40,733 39,234 4451 Grocery stores.................................. 378,335 3.3 38,152 37,258 39,344 36,912 35,546 4453 Beer, wine & liquor stores...................... (*) (*) (*) 2,627 2,841 2,531 2,419 446 Health & personal care stores.................... 156,858 5.9 16,479 15,635 15,934 15,315 14,434 44611 Pharmacies & drug stores........................ (*) (*) (*) 13,478 13,481 13,024 12,293 447 Gasoline stations................................ 221,167 10.1 22,633 22,409 23,822 21,298 20,413 448 Clothing & clothing accessories stores........... 135,375 3.5 14,753 13,563 15,443 13,939 12,418 44811 Men's clothing stores........................... (*) (*) (*) 775 913 821 741 44812 Women's clothing stores......................... (*) (*) (*) 2,838 2,801 2,789 2,620 44814 Family clothing stores.......................... (*) (*) (*) 4,795 5,499 5,189 4,328 4482 Shoe stores..................................... (*) (*) (*) 1,705 2,339 1,664 1,586 451 Sporting goods, hobby, book & music stores....... 61,316 -0.9 5,862 6,357 7,496 6,133 6,322 452 General merchandise stores....................... 369,183 4.5 39,282 35,802 40,781 37,122 33,847 4521 Department stores (ex. L.D.).................... 165,566 -4.0 17,568 15,890 18,447 17,960 16,231 4521 Department stores (incl. L.D.).................. (*) (*) (*) 16,146 18,737 18,242 16,492 4529 Other general merchandise stores................ (*) (*) (*) 19,912 22,334 19,162 17,616 45291 Warehouse clubs & superstores.................. (*) (*) (*) 16,911 19,100 16,092 14,892 45299 All other gen. merchandise stores.............. (*) (*) (*) 3,001 3,234 3,070 2,724 453 Miscellaneous store retailers.................... 84,869 -0.1 8,913 8,535 9,048 8,882 8,373 4532 Office supplies, stationary & gift stores....... (*) (*) (*) 3,234 3,720 3,432 3,239 45321 Office supplies & stationary stores............ (*) (*) (*) 2,123 2,388 2,028 2,041 454 Nonstore retailers............................... 154,271 7.2 17,462 15,813 14,719 16,063 14,014 4541 Electronic shopping & mail-order houses......... (*) (*) (*) 10,296 9,730 10,254 9,242 722 Food services & drinking places.................. 297,734 6.9 31,176 29,384 32,723 27,949 27,181 (*) Advance estimates are not available from the subsample panel for these business classifications. (r) Revised. TABLE 2. PERCENT CHANGE IN ESTIMATED ADVANCE MONTHLY SALES FOR RETAIL AND FOOD SERVICES, BY KIND OF BUSINESS--October 2003 Data adjusted for seasonal variatons, holiday, and trading-day differences, but not for price changes. (Percent Change) Oct Sep 2003 2003 adv. prel. from-- from-- NAICS Kind of Business Sep Oct Aug Sep Code 2003 2002 2003 2002 Prel. Final Final Final Retail & food Services, total.................... -0.3 +6.1 -0.4 +7.1 Total (excl. motor vehicle & parts ).......... +0.2 +6.2 +0.2 +7.1 Retail .................................. -0.5 +5.7 -0.3 +7.0 441 Motor vehicle & parts dealers.................... -1.9 +5.9 -2.2 +7.2 4411,4412 Auto & other motor veh. dealers............... -2.0 +5.8 -2.5 +7.2 442 Furniture & home furnishings stores.............. +1.0 +10.9 +1.0 +8.6 443 Electronics & appliance stores................... 0.0 +7.8 +0.4 +9.0 444 Building material & garden eq. & supplies dealers +1.6 +12.5 +1.3 +10.2 445 Food & beverage stores........................... -0.9 +3.4 +0.3 +5.0 4451 Grocery stores.................................. -1.2 +2.6 +0.2 +4.5 446 Health & personal care stores.................... +0.5 +6.9 +0.3 +6.3 447 Gasoline stations................................ -1.6 +4.6 +0.4 +9.1 448 Clothing & clothing accessories stores........... +0.1 +4.6 +0.9 +9.1 451 Sporting goods, hobby, book & music stores........ -2.2 -4.6 -3.1 -1.3 452 General merchandise stores....................... 0.0 +4.6 +0.2 +6.9 453 Miscellaneous stores retailers................... +0.6 -0.5 -1.1 -1.4 454 Nonstore retailers............................... +0.7 +8.6 +1.7 +10.0 722 Food services & drinking places.................. +1.9 +10.6 -1.7 +7.9 Data not adjusted for seasonal variations, holiday, trading-day differences, and price changes. (Percent Change) Oct Sep 2003 2003 adv. prel. from-- from-- NAICS Kind of Business Sep Oct Aug Sep Code 2003 2002 2003 2002 Prel. Final Final Final Retail & food Services, total.................... +3.3 +6.7 -7.1 +8.8 Total (excl. motor vehicle & parts ).......... +5.4 +7.1 -6.3 +8.2 Retail .................................. +3.0 +6.2 -6.7 +8.9 441 Motor vehicle & parts dealers.................... -3.2 +5.3 -9.4 +11.0 4411,4412 Auto & other motor veh. dealers................ -3.9 +5.3 -9.9 +11.1 442 Furniture & home furnishings stores.............. +6.0 +11.3 -4.1 +10.8 443 Electronics & appliance stores................... +1.0 +8.5 -7.4 +10.7 444 Building material & garden eq. & supplies dealers +6.2 +12.1 +0.9 +13.8 445 Food & beverage stores........................... +2.8 +4.3 -5.6 +5.3 4451 Grocery stores.................................. +2.4 +3.4 -5.3 +4.8 446 Health & personal care stores.................... +5.4 +7.6 -1.9 +8.3 447 Gasoline stations................................ +1.0 +6.3 -5.9 +9.8 448 Clothing & clothing accessories stores........... +8.8 +5.8 -12.2 +9.2 451 Sporting goods, hobby, book & music stores........ -7.8 -4.4 -15.2 +0.6 452 General merchandise stores....................... +9.7 +5.8 -12.2 +5.8 453 Miscellaneous stores retailers................... +4.4 +0.3 -5.7 +1.9 454 Nonstore retailers............................... +10.4 +8.7 +7.4 +12.8 722 Food services & drinking places.................. +6.1 +11.5 -10.2 +8.1 (NA) Not Available. SOURCE: Advance Monthly Sales for Retail Trade and Food Services--OCTOBER 2003 (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) 763-2713.