Retail trade - March 2023

Sales in retail trade decreased in real terms by 8.1%, year‑on‑year (y-o-y) in March; in the month-on-month (m-o-m) comparison, they decreased by 0.7%.

Sales in retail trade, except of motor vehicles¹⁾ decreased by 0.7% in real terms, month‑on‑month, in March. Sales for sale of non-food goods decreased by 1.3% and for food by 0.3%, whereas sales for sale of automotive fuel increased by 0.6%.

Sales in retail trade decreased in real terms by 8.1%, year-on-year, in March. Sales for sale of non-food goods decreased by 9.7% and sales for sale of food by 8.7%, whereas sales for sale of automotive fuel increased by 2.4%.

“Sales in retail trade adjusted for price effects decreased in March, year-on-year, namely for the eleventh successive month. Compared to last year’s March, less of both non-food goods and food were sold, whereas more automotive fuel was sold. A sales decrease was recorded by all assortment types of stores and also by retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet,” Jana Gotvaldová, Head of the Trade, Transport, and Services Statistics Unit of the Czech Statistical Office (CZSO), says.

Sales in retail sale of other household equipment in specialised stores decreased by 18.4%, year‑on-year, in retail sale of information and communication equipment in specialised stores by 10.4%, in retail sale of cosmetic and toilet articles in specialised stores by 6.7%, in retail sale of clothing, footwear and leather goods in specialised stores by 3.8%, in retail sale of cultural and recreation goods in specialised stores by 3.4%, and dispensing chemist and medical goods by 1.3%. Sales from sale of food decreased in specialised stores by 9.1% and in retail sale in non-specialised stores with food, beverages or tobacco predominating by 8.6%. In other retail sale in non-specialised stores sales increased by 1.8%. In retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet²⁾ sales decreased by 4.0%.

Sales for sale and repair of motor vehicles³⁾ decreased in real terms by 0.9%, m-o-m. In the year-on-year comparison, sales increased by 3.9%, while sales for sale of motor vehicles (including spare parts) increased by 4.2% and sales for repair of motor vehicles by 2.8%.

“For the whole first quarter, sales in retail trade decreased in real terms by 7.3%, year-on-year. Sales for sale of non-food goods dropped by 8.4%, sales for sale of food by 7.8%, whereas sales for sale of automotive fuel increased by 0.3%. Sales for sale and repair of motor vehicles increased by 4.3%,” Marie Boušková, Director of the Trade, Transport, Services, Tourism, and Environmental Statistics Department of the CZSO, adds.

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.