The Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce announced today that advance estimates of U.S. retail sales for November adjusted for seasonal, holiday, and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $213.8 billion, an increase of 0.2 percent (+/—0.7%) from the previous month and 3.8 percent (+/—0.9%) above November 1996. Total sales for the September through November period were 3.8 percent (+/—0.7%) above the same period a year ago. The September to October 1997 percent change was unchanged from the —0.2 percent (+/—0.7%) shown in the October report.

Durable goods increased 0.2 percent (+/—1.4%) from October and were 3.7 percent above last year.

Nondurable goods increased 0.2 percent (+/—0.6%) from last month and were 3.9 percent above 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.

					    Percent Changes-X
					 Nov 1997	  Oct 1997
					 adv. from	 prel. from
					Oct	Nov	Sep	Oct
					'97	'96	'97	'96
prel.finalfinalfinal
Retail trade, total			 —0.6	+1.9	 +4.2	+3.9
Total, excl. auto.			 +3.6	+2.6	 +5.3	+4.3
Durable goods, total			 —7.0	+0.8	 +1.3	+3.3
Building materials, hardware,
garden supply, and mobile
home dealers				—13.9	+1.9	 +2.1	+4.9
Automotive dealers			—13.6	—0.4	 +0.8	+2.4
Motor vehicle and misc.
automotive dealers			—13.8	—0.2	 +0.6	+2.8
Furniture, home furnishings
and equipment stores			+11.9	+5.4	 +2.6	+4.9
Nondurable goods, total			 +3.9	+2.7	 +6.3	+4.2
Gen. merch. stores			+19.2	+6.2	+12.3	+6.6
Dept. stores excl. leased depts.	+21.6	+7.7	+12.6	+8.0
incl. leased depts.			N/A	N/A	+12.5	+7.8
Food stores				 —0.8	+0.8	 +4.3	+2.7
Grocery stores				 —0.8	+0.3	 +4.3	+2.1
Gasoline service stations		 —6.4	—1.6	 +2.1	+1.5
Apparel and
accessory stores			+13.0	+3.5	 +6.5	+3.1
Eating and drinking places		 —5.3	+0.8	 +3.2	+4.0
Drug and proprietary stores		 —1.4	+7.0	 +4.8	+7.1

X–Adjusted for seasonal, holiday, and trading-day differences.

N/A–Not available.

December 11, 1997 U.S. Department of Commerce

Statistics

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U.S. IMPORT AND EXPORT PRICE INDEXES–NOVEMBER 1997

PRODUCER PRICE INDEXES NOVEMBER 1997

Consensus National Futures and Financial On Line Index

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