Retail trade - December 2023

Sales in retail trade increased in real terms by 1.6%, year‑on‑year (y-o-y) in December; in the month-on-month (m-o-m) comparison, they increased by 0.2%. Sales for sale and repair of motor vehicles increased by 5.0%, y-o-y; in the m-o-m comparison they decreased by 0.2%. 
For the whole year 2023, sales in retail trade decreased by 4.1%; sales for sale and repair of motor vehicles increased by 4.2%.

Sales in retail trade, except of motor vehicles¹⁾ increased in real terms by 0.2%, month‑on‑month, in December. Sales for sale of automotive fuel increased by 0.9% and sales for sale of non-food goods by 0.5%, whereas sales for sale of food decreased by 0.4%.

Sales in retail trade increased in real terms by 1.6%, year-on-year, in December; sales for sale of non-food goods increased by 2.5% and sales for sale of automotive fuel by 2.3%, whereas sales for sale of food decreased by 0.2%.

“Sales in retail trade adjusted for price effects recorded a year-on-year growth in December. Sale of non-food goods and automotive fuel contributed to the increase. As for non-food goods, the highest year-on-year growth of sales was attained by retail sale of cosmetic and toilet articles in specialised stores. Sales for sale of food were constantly decreasing already for the twentieth successive month; however, the decrease rate slackened in December,” Jana Gotvaldová, Head of the Trade, Transport, and Services Statistics Unit of the Czech Statistical Office (CZSO), says.

Sales in retail sale of cosmetic and toilet articles in specialised stores increased by 15.5%, year‑on-year; sales in retail sale of information and communication equipment in specialised stores by 11.2%, and sales in dispensing chemist, retail sale of medical and orthopaedic goods in specialised stores increased by 5.6%. On the other hand, sales decreased in retail sale of other household equipment in specialised stores by 5.0%, in retail sale of clothing, footwear and leather goods in specialised stores by 3.7%, and in retail sale of cultural and recreation goods in specialised stores by 0.6%. Sales in retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores increased by 1.2%, whereas in non-specialised stores with food, beverages or tobacco predominating they decreased by 0.3%. In other retail sale in non‑specialised stores sales increased by 15.0%. In retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet²⁾ sales increased by 5.5%.

Sales for sale and repair of motor vehicles³⁾ decreased in real terms by 0.2%, m-o-m. In the year-on-year comparison, sales increased by 5.0%. Sales for repair of motor vehicles increased by 5.5% and sales for sale of motor vehicles (including spare parts) by 4.9%.

For the whole year 2023, sales in retail trade decreased in real terms by 4.1%, year-on-year; sales for sale of food dropped by 5.3% and for non-food goods by 5.2%, whereas sales for sale of automotive fuel increased by 4.9%. Sales for sale and repair of motor vehicles increased by 4.2%; sales for sale of motor vehicles (including spare parts) increased by 4.7% and sales for repair of motor vehicles by 2.3%.

International comparison of retail sales development in Member States of the EU is available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/short-term-business-statistics/publications.