Firstly, expenditure on durable goods increased by an unsustainable 38.4 per cent (quarter-on-quarter annualised) compared with an increase of 0,9 per cent in the third quarter. This was mainly due to the zero interest financing incentives offered on durables, particularly motor vehicles.
Secondly, we should not be too surprised if the revised figures for the fourth quarter (due on 28 February) are significantly different to that of the provisional data which are "advance estimates".