[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 26 (Tuesday, February 9, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6303-6305]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-3075]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of the Census


Current Retail Sales and Inventory Survey

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13 (44 U. S. C. 3506 
(c)(2) (A)).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before April 12, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Linda Engelmeier, 
Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 
5327, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions 
should be directed to Nancy Piesto, Bureau of the Census, Room 2654-FOB 
3, Washington, DC 20233-6500, (301) 457-2708.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

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.

[[Page 6304]]

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:

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                   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.
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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.

[[Page 6305]]

    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) http://
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