[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 121 (Monday, June 24, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42539-42540]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-15784]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


Annual Retail Trade 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)).

[[Page 42540]]


DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before August 23, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Madeleine Clayton, 
Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 
6608, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via 
the Internet at [email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions 
should be directed to Scott A. Scheleur, U.S. Census Bureau, Room 2626-
FOB 3, Washington, DC 20223-6500, (301) 457-2713.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

I. Abstract

    The Annual Retail Trade Survey (ARTS) provides a sound statistical 
basis for the formation of policy by other government agencies. It 
provides continuing and timely national statistics on retail trade and 
accommodation and food services, augmenting the period between economic 
censuses, and is a continuation of similar retail trade surveys 
conducted each year since 1951 (except 1954). The data collected--
annual sales and operating receipts, e-commerce sales and receipts, 
purchases, end-of-year inventories, and accounts receivables--are 
applicable to a variety of public and business needs. Data items 
collected for accommodation and food services are annual receipts and 
e-commerce receipts. The estimates of purchased merchandise will be 
used to estimate trade margins on commodities sold in calculating the 
personal consumption portion of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by the 
Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Accounts receivable balances are 
used by the Federal Reserve Board in measuring consumer credit. 
Businesses use these estimates to determine market share and to perform 
other analysis.
    The ARTS sample consists of all firms operating retail 
establishments within the U.S. whose probability of selection is 
determined by sales size, as reported in the Monthly Retail Trade 
Survey (MRTS). An additional panel of cases who report only in the 
annual survey are also canvassed. Estimates developed in the ARTS are 
used to benchmark the monthly sales and inventories series and the 
firms canvassed in this survey are not required to maintain additional 
records since carefully prepared estimates are acceptable if book 
figures are not available.
    ARTS will convert its collection instrument from printing 
respondent information on pre-stocked report forms to a print-on-demand 
system referred to as DocuPrint. DocuPrint offers more flexibility in 
selecting and combining various images with variable questions and 
messages depending on changing coverage and kind of business and allows 
us to tailor survey questions to a specific respondent. 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 information in predetermined locations throughout the 
document(s), all in one pass when the images and messages are summoned 
to 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 produced.

II. Method of Collection

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

III. Data

    OMB Number: 0607-0013.
    Form Number: SA-44, SA-44A, SA-44C, SA-44E, SA-44N, SA-44S, SA-45, 
SA-45C, and SA-721.
    Type of Review: Regular Submission.
    Affected Public: Retail Businesses.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 22,977.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 24.3 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 9,299.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: The cost to the respondent for fiscal 
year 2003 is estimated to be $194,442, based on an annual response 
burden of 9,299 hours and a rate of $20.91 per hour to complete the 
form.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13, U.S.C., Sections 182, 224, and 225.

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: June 18, 2002.
Madeleine Clayton,
Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief 
Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 02-15784 Filed 6-21-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P