Retail Trade - May 2008

In May, seasonally adjusted (SA) sales in retail trade except automotive segment grew by 0.6% month-on-month and by 2.5% year-on-year, just as not seasonally adjusted. In the automotive segment, seasonally adjusted sales increased by 0.7%, m-o-m, at constant prices, by 1.3% year-on-year and not seasonally adjusted (NSA) sales dropped by 1.5%. SA sales in hotels and restaurants increased by 0.2%, m-o-m, and NSA sales dropped by 0.3%, year-on-year.


SA sales in retail trade (CZ-NACE 52) at constant prices recorded a relatively marked increase by 0.6% month-on-month in May, both for food, beverages and tobacco and the non-food goods. The month-on-month growth of the trend component (+0.2%) reached its biggest value for the last 10 months (Table 3). From mid-1998 in the long-term perspective the trend component showed a continuous growth which speeded up sharply in mid-2005 and, in contrast, from April 2007, a relatively significant slow-down continuing to date was reported.


Graph 1



Year-on-year, adjusted for seasonal and working day effects, sales in retail trade increased by 2.5% at constant prices. Although May 2008 had one working day less than May 2007, the growth of NSA sales was slightly bigger than WDA sales (2.5% and 2.4%, respectively). A modest negative effect of working day adjustment can be attributed to the fact that May 2008 had more strong selling days (Fridays and Saturdays as strong selling days for food, beverages and tobacco and Tuesdays for non-food goods). Bigger number of Fridays and Saturdays contributed also to the fact that after two months of the y-o-y drop, NSA sales from food, beverages and tobacco increased by 1.0%. The total growth of retail sale was, however, contributed to more by the sale of non-food products (growth by 3.6%).
The biggest contributors to the total sales increase were retail sale of furniture, lighting equipment, household articles, electrical appliances, radio and television goods, hardware, paints and glass in specialised stores and sale of food, beverages and tobacco predominating in non specialized stores. The most rapid growth was recorded for sales from the sale of textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods and the sale of furniture, lighting equipment and household articles, electrical appliances, radio and television goods, hardware, paints and glass. The biggest drop of sales was recorded for retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco in specialized stores (-5.4%), retail sale of second-hand goods in stores (-3.3%), sale via stalls and markets and other non-store retail sale (-2.7%) and the sale in stores with pharmaceutical and medical goods, cosmetic and toilet articles (-1.3%) (Table 2).

The price deflator (related to May 2007) was 103.8%. The biggest price increase was recorded in stores with food, beverages and tobacco, of which in specialized stores by 10.1%, in non-specialized stores by 8.1%. In retail sale via stalls and markets, in other non-store retail sale prices grew by 5.2%, in stores with pharmaceutical and medical goods, cosmetic and toilet articles by 4.2% and in non-specialised stores with non-food goods predominating by 2.8%. In contrast, in stores with textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods prices dropped by 1.6%, in retail sale via mail order houses by 1.4%, retail sale of second-hand goods by 1.3% and prices of furniture, lighting equipment, household articles, electrical appliances, radio and television goods, hardware, paints and glass were 0.8% down.

In May, according to data released by Eurostat, SA retail sales at constant prices in the EU27 increased by 1.3% month-on-month and by 2.0% year-on-year (working days adjusted). Among the member states for which data were available, the year-on-year sales increases were recorded in the United Kingdom (+7.2%), Lithuania (+7.0%), Rumania (+6.8%), Slovakia (+6.7%), Poland and Bulgaria (+6.2% both), Belgium (+6.0%), Slovenia (+5.8%), Luxembourg (+4.4%), Austria (+3.5%), Finland (+2.4%), Portugal (+2.1%) and in Sweden (+ 1.3%). Sales fell in Estonia, Spain and Latvia (-5.1%) Denmark (-0.8%) and in Germany (-0.3%).



In the automotive segment (CZ-NACE 50), SA sales at constant prices increased by 0.7% month-on-month and grew by 1.3% year-on-year. NSA sales dropped by 1.5% year-on-year, of which sales from the sale, maintenance and repair of motor vehicles were by 4.8% down while sales from the sale of automotive fuel were by 4.6% up.

In retail trade incl. the automotive segment (CZ-NACE 52 + 50), SA sales at constant prices increased by 0.6% month-on-month and by 2.1% year-on-year. NSA sales grew by 1.2% year-on-year.

In hotels and restaurants (CZ-NACE 55) SA sales at constant prices grew by 0.2% month-on-month. NSA sales fell by 0.3 % year-on-year. The decrease came from lower sales in hotels, camping sites and other provisions of short-stay accommodation (-5.4%). In contrast, in restaurants, bars and canteens sales increased by 1.9% year-on year. Approximately the same sales growth (by 2.7% and 2.2%, respectively) was recorded in restaurants and bars, while sales in canteens and catering fell by 4.6%.

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Note

1) The whole time series is seasonally adjusted every month; indices in the graph are changed retroactively.

Contact: Alena Hellerová, tel. (+420) 274052921, e-mail: alena.hellerova@csu.gov.cz
Data source: CZSO direct survey in enterprises
End of data collection: 7 July 2008
End of data processing: 10 July 2008
The data for May 2008 are preliminary; final data for all months of 2008 will be available in June 2009 at the latest. Monthly data since 1997 are available in time series ( /sales_indices_monthly_retail_trade_hotels_and_restaurants_time_series )