Puerto Rico retail sales up .50% YOY in August
In absolute terms, the year-over-year retail sales increase was by about $15 million in August.
Puerto Rico retail sales reported a slight year-over-year uptick of .50 percent in August with sales reaching $2.96 billion in comparison to the same month in 2012, when activity reached $2.95 billion, representing a $15 million jump in sales, Puerto Rico Trade and Export Executive Director Francisco Chévere confirmed Thursday.
“In analyzing the results, 11 retail sectors reflected an increase in the month of August by as much as 21 percent when compared to the same period of 2012,” Chévere said.
“Businesses that reflected the largest increases in sales for August 2013 were women’s clothing stores, with 21 percent, clothing stores for young men and men, with 17.4 percent, and variety stores, with 17.1 percent,” he said.
On the other hand, the commercial establishments sales report — which is broken down into nine regions blanketing Puerto Rico — showed that three of them reflected increases: Fajardo, with an 11.4 percent jump, Guayama and Aguadilla, with 3.4 percent and Mayagüez with a 1.65 percent improvement. The San Juan region, however, saw a 1.6 percent reduction in its retail activity in August.
The report released Thursday came about a week after the July 2013 figures were made available, which reflected a 0.3% drop in activity year-over-year, as this media outlet reported. The result between July and August is essentially flat, as it was less than a 1 percent difference month-to-month.
“In August the information was gathered over a period of 60 days, significantly less than the cycle time of previous reports, which is quite similar to U.S. sales reports,” Chévere noted.
Doesn’t anyone remember that we Puertoricans always buy new clothes for travel? Specially when we plan a REALLY LOOOONG TIME OUT…
Nobody goes out to USA with used clothes… Just check in the airport and in the Outlet centers