(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-02-21 10:47

MACAO -- Macao saw its value of retail sales in 2007 grow 33 percent compared with 2006, according to official statistics released on Wednesday.

With notable increase in the sales of watches, clocks and jewelry (up 54 percent), adults' clothing (up 39 percent), goods in department stores (up 30 percent), and motor vehicles (up 30 percent), the total value of retail sales for the whole year of 2007 reached 14.2 billion patacas (1.8 billion US dollars), said the Statistics and Census Service of the Special Administrative Region (SAR).

Meanwhile, regarding the business prospect for the first quarter of 2008, about 69 percent of the interviewed retailers expected the sales volume to increase or remain stable compared with the fourth quarter of 2007, and 31 percent expected it to decrease. However, about 86 percent expected the retail prices to remain stable or increase, while 14 percent expected them to decrease, according to the statistics.