Retail trade - March 2018

Seasonally adjusted sales in retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles (CZ‑NACE 47) increased by 0.1% in March at constant prices, month-on-month. Sales for sale of food increased by 0.6%, while for automotive fuel they dropped by 2.2% and for non‑food goods by 0.5%.

Sales in retail trade adjusted for calendar effects increased by 4.4%, year-on-year; sales for sale of non-food goods increased by 4.8%, sales for food by 3.8%, and sales for automotive fuel by 2.8%. March 2018 had 2 working days less than March 2017.

Non-adjusted sales in retail trade increased by 3.7%, y-o-y. Higher sales of food (+7.4%) were influenced by Easter holidays. Sales for sale of non-food goods increased by 1.5% and for sale of automotive fuel by 0.1%.

The y-o-y growth of non-adjusted sales in retail trade was influenced the most by retail sale in non‑specialised stores with food, beverages or tobacco predominating (growth by 8.0%) and sale via mail order houses or via Internet (growth by 14.7%). Higher sales were recorded also by retail sale of cultural and recreation goods in specialised stores (+1.0%). On the contrary, lower sales were in retail sale of clothing and footwear in specialised stores (-2.9%), retail sale of information and communication equipment in specialised stores (-2.5%), retail sale of other household equipment in specialised stores (-1.6%), retail sale of dispensing chemist, medical and orthopaedic goods (-0.5%), and retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores (-0.4%). It was contributed to by a lower number of working days in March 2018 in comparison to March 2017 as well as by a high comparison base from the previous year.  

The price deflator (CZ-NACE 47) related to the corresponding period of the previous year (VAT excluded) was 100.3%. It was influenced mainly by higher prices of dispensing chemist, medical and orthopaedic goods, cosmetic and toilet articles, food, and household equipment. On the contrary, prices decreased in retail sale of information and communication equipment in specialised stores, retail sale of automotive fuel, retail sale of cultural and recreation goods in specialised stores, and retail sale of clothing and footwear.

Seasonally adjusted sales for sale and repair of motor vehicles (CZ-NACE 45) increased at constant prices by 0.2%, m-o-m. Sales adjusted for calendar effects decreased by 5.7%, y-o-y. Non-adjusted sales decreased by 11.6%, y-o-y. Sales for sale of motor vehicles (including spare parts) decreased by 11.8%, y-o-y; sales for repair of motor vehicles decreased by 10.8%, y‑o‑y.

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

For the entire Q1 2018, sales in retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles (CZ‑NACE 47) adjusted for calendar effects increased at constant prices by 6.2%, y-o-y, and non-adjusted sales increased by 5.9% (there were 2 working days less in the Q1 2018 compared to the corresponding period of the previous year). Non-adjusted sales for sale of non‑food goods increased by 7.3%, y-o-y, for sale of automotive fuel they increased by 4.9% and for sale of food by 4.7%. Sales for sale and repair of motor vehicles (CZ‑NACE 45) adjusted for calendar effects decreased by 3.4%, y-o-y; non-adjusted sales decreased by 5.7%. Non-adjusted sales for sale of motor vehicles (including spare parts) decreased by 6.5%, y‑o‑y, and for repair of motor vehicles they decreased by 2.7%, y-o-y.

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Notes:
All data in the text of the News Release are at constant prices.
Data for March 2018 are preliminary. Final data for all months of 2018 will be published in June 2019.
Responsible head at the CZSO: Marie Boušková, Director of the Services Statistics Department, phone number: (+420) 274 052 935,
e-mail: marie.bouskova@csu.gov.cz
Contact person: Jana Gotvaldová, Head of the Trade, Transport, and Information Service Activities Statistics Unit, phone number: (+420) 274 052 691, e-mail: jana.gotvaldova@csu.gov.cz
Method of data acquisition: direct survey of the CZSO (SP 1-12)
End of data collection: 26 April 2018
End of data processing: 2 May 2018
Related outputs: Base indices and y-o-y indices since 2000 and 2001, respectively, are available in time series
(https://csu.gov.cz/sales_indices_monthly_retail_trade_hotels_and_restaurants_time_series).
Next News Release will be published on: 5 June 2018