August sales rise 4.4%; menu prices increase 1.8%

Nation's Restaurant News,  Sept 27, 1993  

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WASHINGTON -- The rate of sales increases at the nation's eating and drinking places fell in August, rising just 4.4 percent on an unadjusted, annual basis -- just half of the vigorous rates of sales growth reported by the Census Bureau during June and July.

In July national restaurant sales rose 10 percent, while they climbed 8.9 percent during June.

Meanwhile, menu prices in August flattened, rising just 1.8 percent on an annual, unadjusted basis, unchanged from July, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' consumer price index.

When the August sales increase is discounted against the month's menu inflation, then real sales apparently rose 2.6 percent. Overall, the nation's rate of inflation for the 12 months ended in August was up 2.8 percent.

COPYRIGHT 1993 Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.
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