Motor trade sales rise 5.5%
Motor trade sales (measured in nominal terms and current prices) increased by 5.5% year-on-year in December‚ compared with an 11.1% year-on-year increase the month before‚ Statistics SA reported last week.
The highest annual growth rates were recorded for fuel sales (9.7%)‚ convenience store sales (7.0%)‚ new vehicle sales (6.6%) and used vehicle sales (5.6%).
Seasonally adjusted motor trade sales fell by 6.0% in December compared with November following month-on-month drop of -3.7% in November.
Seasonally adjusted motor trade sales increased by 4.5% in the fourth quarter of last year although they were up by 11.1% in the fourth quarter of 2012 when compared with 2011.
The major contributors to the increases were fuel sales (13.9% and contributing 4.1 percentage points); new vehicle sales (12.3% and contributing 3.3 percentage points); and used vehicle sales (12.4% and contributing 2.0 percentage points).