Retail Trade - March

In March, seasonally adjusted (SA) sales in retail trade increased month-on-month by 0.1% at constant prices and in the year-on-year comparison by 0.9%. Not seasonally adjusted sales increased by 0.1%, y-o-y, which was mostly due to the non-food goods sale. In wholesale, retail trade and repairs of motor vehicles and motorcycles seasonally adjusted sales increased by 0.5%, m-o-m, however, in the year-on-year comparison they were lower by 6.5% and not seasonally adjusted by 3.9%.
According to a new classification the retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles (NACE ¹⁾ 47) includes also retail sale of fuel, which was earlier covered by automotive segment (of which only wholesale, retail trade and repairs of motor vehicles and motorcycles remained). With seasonal, calendar and working day adjustment sales in retail trade increased in March, m-o-m, by 0.1%, at constant prices, while for food sales dropped by 1.1% and for non-food goods sales were 0.4% up. In the year on year comparison sales increased 0.9%, of which for food by 1.1%, for non-food goods by 1.4% while for the sale of fuel sales dropped by 1.3%. Seasonally non-adjusted sales increased by 0.1%, in the year-on-year comparison, which was contributed to not only by more working days this year (+2) but also by Easter holiday which was in March last year while this year in April. Sales from the sale of non-food goods increased by 1.6%, sales from the sale of food dropped by 1.7%.

The biggest growth was recorded for the sale in specialized stores with pharmaceutical and medical goods, cosmetic and toilet articles (+11.1%). Growing were also sales from the sale of products for recreation and culture (+6.6%), sales via Internet (+6.3%), retail trade of information and communication equipment (+5.6%) and other non-store retail trade via stalls and markets (by 3.6%). Falling were sales from the sale in specialised stores with food products (-8.0%), other household equipment (-4.0%) and from the sale in non-specialized stores (-1.1%). Sale of fuel stagnated (see table No. 2).

The price deflator related to the corresponding period in 2008 was 95.9%. The biggest price increase was recorded in specialized stores with food, beverages and tobacco (+4.0%) and with pharmaceutical and medical goods, cosmetic and toilet articles (+2.2%). By contrast, prices of fuel dropped by 18.9%, prices of information and communication equipment by 10.9% and prices of second-hand goods by 6.3%.

In March, according to data released by Eurostat, SA retail sales in the EU27 dropped month-on-month by 0.3% at constant prices and, year-on-year, working days adjusted, by 3.1%. The biggest sales drops were recorded in Latvia (-27.3%), Lithuania (-21.1%) and in Estonia (-16.6%). Sales grew only in Belgium (+2.1%), in Austria (+2.0%) and in the United Kingdom (+0.8%).
In wholesale, retail trade and repairs of motor vehicles and motorcycles (NACE ^{1 )} 45), SA sales increased by 0.5% at constant prices month-on-month, and dropped by 6.5%, year-on-year. NSA sales dropped by 3.9%, year-on-year, of which from the sale of motor vehicles by 3.5% and from repair by 5.8%.

In retail trade and in wholesale, retail trade and repairs of motor vehicles and motorcycles (NACE ¹⁾ 47+45) SA sales at constant prices increased by 0.2%, month-on-month and year-on-year sales dropped by 1.4%. NSA sales decreased by 1.1%, year-on-year.

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Notes
1) NACE Rev. 2
Contact: Alena Hellerová, tel. (+420) 274052921, e-mail: alena.hellerova@csu.gov.cz
Data source: CZSO direct survey in enterprises
End of data collection: 4 May 2009
End of data processing: 11 May 2009
The data for March 2009 are preliminary, data for January and February were revised; final data for all months of 2009 will be available in June 2010 at the latest. Monthly data since 2000 (y-o-y indices since 2001) are available in time series. ( /sales_indices_monthly_retail_trade_hotels_and_restaurants_time_series ).