Current Retail Sales and Inventory Survey

I. Abstract

The Current Retail Sales and Inventory Survey provides estimates of monthly sales and end-of-month merchandise inventories of retail stores in the United States by selected kinds of business. The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) uses this information to prepare the National Income and Products Accounts and to benchmark the annual input-output tables.

Statistics provided from the Current Retail Sales and Inventory Survey are used to calculate the gross domestic product (GDP). Estimates produced from the Current Retail Sales and Inventory Survey are based on a probability sample. The sample design consists of one fixed panel where all cases are requested to report sales and/or inventories each month. We currently publish retail sales and inventory estimates on the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) basis. Starting in the spring of 2001, we will publish on the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The SIC definition of retail trade and the NAICS definition of retail trade are substantially different. The SIC defines retailers as establishments engaged in selling merchandise for personal or household consumption and rendering services incidental to the sale of the goods. Restaurants are included in retail trade under the SIC, but will move to the Accommodation and Food Services sector under NAICS. NAICS distinguishes retailers from wholesalers based on what the establishment does rather than to whom the establishment sells. Retailers are defined as those establishments that sell merchandise and attract customers using methods such as advertising, point-of-sale location, and display of merchandise. A store retailer has a selling place open to the public, merchandise on display or available through sales clerks, facilities for making cash or credit card transactions, and service provided to retail customers. NAICS provides a better way to classify individual businesses, and will be widely adopted throughout both the public and private sectors. NAICS will change the information that is currently available with reclassifications, definitional changes, and movement of activities in or out of retail trade. NAICS is more relevant as it identifies more industries that contribute to today's growing economy. NAICS was developed by the United States, Canada, and Mexico in order to produce comparable data between neighboring countries.

Changes From SIC to NAICS--Sales

Conversion from the SIC to NAICS will significantly affect selected industries and retail trade in total. For example: • Restaurants move from retail trade to a new sector- Accommodation and Food Services. We will continue to collect monthly sales on restaurants and publish a separate Food Services Total. • Retail Bakeries (without seating) will move to the manufacturing sector. • Pawn Shops will move to the finance sector. • The Building Materials, SIC 52, currently includes mobile home dealers. Under NAICS , mobile home dealers will be included in Miscellaneous Store Retailers. • Computer and Software Stores will be recognized as separate industries under NAICS because of growing interest among public and private data users. • The Durable and Nondurable aggregate totals will be eliminated from publication under NAICS.

Changes From SIC to NAICS--Inventories

• Under NAICS, we will discontinue collecting inventories from the food service subsector. We will collect and publish inventories only for the Retail Sector. • Under NAICS, all auxiliary facilities such as warehouses are classified based on the primary activity. Under SIC, warehouses are classified based on their industry classification of the establishments they primarily serve. We will continue to publish the warehouse inventory in its respective kind-of-business. • The Durables and Nondurable aggregate totals will be eliminated from publication under NAICS. In addition to changes concerning the conversion from SIC to NAICS, the Current Retail Sales and Inventory Survey is converting its monthly pin fed report forms to a print-on demand system referred to as DocuPrint. The key benefit of this system is its ability to print a specific document or set of related documents (when requested), and overlay variable data, bar code and address label in predetermined locations throughout the document(s), all in one pass through the printer. This process reduces the time and cost of preparing mailout packages that contain unique variable data, while improving the look and quality of the products being produced. DocuPrint allows us to tailor survey questions to a specific respondent. For example, sales only reporters will now only see sales questions, and inventory only respondents will only see inventory questions. Company and EIN reporters will use the same report form. DocuPrint will print (overlay) the appropriate EIN or Company question. The migration to DocuPrint will split the four forms currently used into seven in order to accommodate the sales only and inventory only respondents. The numbering system will change as follows as a result of this migration:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Old New Description ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- B-101(97)............................... B-101(97)S Department Stores-Sales Only. B-101(97)B Department Stores-Inventory Only. B-111(97)............................... B-111(97)S Non Department Stores-Sales Only. B-111(97)B Non Department Stores-Sales and Inventory. B-111(97)L Department and Non Department Stores-Sales and Inventory/ LIFO. B-113(97)I Department and Non Department Stores-Inventory Only. B-113(97)L Department and Non Department Stores-Inventory/LIFO. B-102(97)............................... ..................................... Form eliminated-DocuPrint will print the appropriate EI/ Company question on B-101. B-112(97)............................... ..................................... Form eliminated-DocuPrint will print the appropriate EI/ Company question on B-111. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

II. Method of Collection

We collect this information by mail, fax, and telephone follow-up.

III. Data

OMB Number: 0607-0717. Form Number: B-101(97)S, B-101(97)B, B-111(97)S, B-111(97)B, B- 111(97)L, B-113(97)I, and B-113(97)L. Type of Review: Regular Submission. Affected Public: Retail firms in the United States. Estimated Number of Respondents: 10 ,500 under NAICS. 12,022 under SIC. Estimated Time Per Response: 7.8 minutes. Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 16,380 hours under NAICS. 18,754 hours under SIC.

Estimated Total Annual Cost: The cost to the respondents for fiscal year 1999 is estimated to be $313,754 based on the median hourly salary of $16.73 for accountants and auditors. (Occupational Employment Statistics-Bureau of Labor Statistics ``1996 National Occupational Employment and Wage Data Professional, Paraprofessional, and Technical Occupations,'' $16.73 represents the median hourly wage of the full- time wage and salary earnings of accountants and auditors) https:// stats.bls.gov/oes/national/oes__prof.htm. Respondent's Obligation: The collection of information is voluntary. Legal Authority: Title 13, United States Code, Section 182.

IV. Request for Comments

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden (including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

Dated: February 3, 1999. Linda Engelmeier, Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer. [FR Doc. 99-3075 Filed 2-8-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-07-P