[Federal Register: March 18, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 52)]
[Notices]
[Page 13166]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr18mr05-40]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
DOC has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for
clearance the following proposal for collection of information under
the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).
Agency: U.S. Census Bureau.
Title: Current Retail Sales & Inventory Survey.
Form Number(s): SM-44(00)S, SM-44(00)SE, SM-44(00)SS, SM-44(00)B,
SM-44(00)BE, SM-44(00)BS, SM-44(00)L, SM-44(00)LE, SM-44(00)LS, SM-
45(00)S, SM-45(00)SE, SM-45(00)SS, SM-45(00)B, SM-45(00)BE, SM-
45(00)BS, SM-72(00)S, SM-20(00)I.
Agency Approval Number: 0607-0717.
Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Burden: 13,364 hours.
Number of Respondents: 8,706.
Avg Hours Per Response: 7.7 minutes.
Needs and Uses: The U.S. Census Bureau requests an extension of the
OMB approval of the Current Retail Sales and Inventory Survey. The
Current Retail Sales and Inventory Survey provides estimates of monthly
retail sales, end-of-month merchandise inventories, and quarterly e-
commerce sales of retailers in the United States by selected kinds of
business. Also, it provides monthly sales of food service
establishments.
Sales and inventory data provide a current statistical picture of
the retail portion of consumer activity. The sales and inventory
estimates in the Current Retail Sales and Inventory Survey measure
current trends of economic activity that occur in the United States.
Also, the estimates compiled from the survey provide valuable
information for economic policy decisions and actions by the government
and are widely used by private businesses, trade organizations,
professional associations, and others for market research and analysis.
Sales are used by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) in determining
the consumption portion of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Retail and Food Services Sales during 2004 amounted to $4.1
trillion. The estimates produced in the Current Retail Sales and
Inventory Survey are critical to the accurate measurement of total
economic activity. The estimates of retail sales represent all
operating receipts, including receipts from wholesale sales made at
retail locations and services rendered as part of the sale of the
goods, by businesses that primarily sell at retail. The sales estimates
include sales made on credit as well on a cash basis, but exclude
receipts from sales taxes and interest charges from credit sales. Also
excluded is non-operating income from such services as investments and
real estate.
The estimates of merchandise inventories owned by retailers
represent all merchandise located in retail stores, warehouses,
offices, or in transit for distribution to retail establishments. The
estimates of merchandise inventories exclude fixtures and supplies not
held for sale, as well as merchandise held on consignment owned by
others. Inventories are used by the BEA in determining the investment
portion of the GDP.
Retail e-commerce sales are estimated from the same sample used in
the Current Retail Sales and Inventory Survey to estimate preliminary
and final U.S. retail sales. The Current Retail Sales and Inventory
sample is updated on an ongoing basis to account for new retail
employer businesses (including those selling via the Internet),
business deaths, and other changes to the retail business universe.
Research was conducted to ensure that retail firms selected in the
Current Retail Sales and Inventory Survey sample and engaged in e-
commerce are representative of the universe of e-commerce retailers.
Total e-commerce sales for 2003 were estimated at $56 billion.
We publish retail sales and inventory estimates based on the North
American Industry Classification System (NAICS) which has been widely
adopted throughout both the public and private sectors.
The BEA is the primary Federal user of data collected in the
Current Retail Sales and Inventory Survey. BEA uses the information in
its preparation of the National Income and Products Accounts, and its
benchmark and annual input-output tables. Statistics provided from
retail sales and inventory estimates are used in the calculation of the
GDP. If the survey were not conducted, BEA would lack comprehensive
data from the retail sector. This would adversely affect the
reliability of the National Income and Products Accounts and the GDP.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) uses the data as input to its
Producer Price Indexes and in developing productivity measurements. The
data are also used for gauging current economic trends of the economy.
Private businesses use the retail sales and inventory data to compute
business activity indexes. The private sector also uses retail sales as
a reliable indicator of consumer activity.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
Frequency: Monthly.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. 182.
OMB Desk Officer: Susan Schechter, (202) 395-5103.
Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained
by calling or writing Diana Hynek, Departmental Paperwork Clearance
Officer, (202) 482-0266, Department of Commerce, room 6625, 14th and
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at
dhynek@doc.gov).
Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice
to Susan Schechter, OMB Desk Officer either by fax (202-395-7245) or e-
mail (susan_schechter@omb.eop.gov).
Dated: March 15, 2005.
Madeleine Clayton,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 05-5425 Filed 3-17-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P