[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 163 (Wednesday, August 24, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49555-49556]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-16830]


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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: Annual Retail Trade Report.
    Form Number(s): SA-44, SA-44A, SA-44C, SA-44E, SA-44N, SA-44S, SA-
45, SA-45C, SA-721A and SA-721E.
    Agency Approval Number: 0607-0013.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Burden: 11,095 hours.
    Number of Respondents: 21,570.
    Avg Hours Per Response: 31 minutes.
    Needs and Uses: The U.S. Census Bureau requests continued OMB 
approval of the Annual Retail Trade Survey (ARTS). The ARTS provides 
the only continuing official measure of annual total retail sales, e-
commerce sales, end-of-year inventories, sales/inventory ratios, 
purchases, inventory valuation methods, gross margin, and end-of-year 
accounts receivables for retailers and annual sales and e-commerce 
sales for accommodation and food services firms in the United States.
    The data collected in the ARTS provide a current statistical 
picture of the retail and food services and accommodations portions of 
consumer activity. Also, the estimates compiled from this survey 
provide valuable information for economic policy decisions and actions 
by government and are widely used by private businesses, trade 
organizations, professional associations, and others for market 
research and analysis. The sales and receipts are used by the Bureau of 
Economic Analysis (BEA) in determining the consumption portion of the 
Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
    The BEA is the primary Federal user of the data collected in the 
ARTS and the information collected is critical to the quality of 
several of BEA's key programs. The data on retail sales are used to 
prepare detailed annual personal consumption expenditures estimates; 
merchandise inventories, valuation methods and merchandise purchases 
are used to prepare annual estimates of change in the business 
inventory component of GDP. Sales, merchandise purchases, inventories, 
inventory valuation and sales tax data are used to prepare estimates of 
GDP by industry and to derive industry output for the input-output 
accounts.
    In addition, the results of the ARTS are used to benchmark 
estimates of monthly retail sales, e-commerce sales, and inventories 
from the Current Retail Sales and Inventory Survey (OMB Approval 
0607-0717), which are key economic indicators that provide 
timely input for computation of the national accounts. Accounts 
receivable balances are used by the Federal Reserve Board in measuring 
consumer credit.

[[Page 49556]]

    Private businesses use these estimates to determine market share 
and to perform other analysis. It is extremely important to both the 
public and the private sectors that accurate and timely measures of 
consumer spending be made readily available.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C., Sections 182, 224, and 225.
    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 
[email protected]).
    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 ([email protected]).

    Dated: August 18, 2005.
Madeleine Clayton,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 05-16830 Filed 8-23-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P