Retail trade - October 2020

In October, sales adjusted for calendar effects decreased by 0.2% in real terms (at constant prices), year‑on‑year (y-o-y). Non-adjusted sales decreased by 0.9%, y-o-y. Seasonally adjusted sales in retail trade decreased by 1.9%, month-on-month (m-o-m).

Seasonally adjusted sales in retail trade, except of motor vehicles¹⁾ decreased in real terms (at constant prices) by 1.9%, m-o-m, in October. Sales for sale of non-food goods decreased by 3.9% and sales for sale of automotive fuel decreased by 8.8%, whereas sales for sale of food increased by 3.2%.

Sales in retail trade adjusted for calendar effects decreased by 0.2%, y-o-y. Sales for sale of non-food goods decreased by 0.2% and sales for sale of automotive fuel decreased by 10.4%, whereas sales for sale of food increased by 3.3%²⁾. October 2020 had one working day less than October 2019.

Non-adjusted sales in retail trade decreased by 0.9%, y-o-y. Sales for sale of non-food goods decreased by 1.8% and sales for sale of automotive fuel dropped by 11.6%, whereas sales for sale of food increased by 3.9%²⁾.

October results were influenced by measures taken against the spread of coronavirus, due to which many stores mainly with non-food goods were closed or their operation was limited this year. A decrease of sales was in specialised stores with information and communication equipment (by 16.4%), retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores (by 17.3%), retail sale of cultural and recreation goods in specialised stores (by 18.8%), and retail sale of clothing, footwear and leather goods in specialised stores (by 36.5%). Users were mainly interested in retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet³⁾ (growth of sales by 31.5%). Sales were increasing also in dispensing chemist in specialised stores and retail sale of medical and orthopaedic goods in specialised stores (by 6.3%), non-specialised stores with food, beverages or tobacco predominating (by 5.3%), and retail sale of other household equipment in specialised stores (by 0.4%).

The price deflator in retail trade, except for motor vehicles and motorcycles related to the corresponding period of the previous year (VAT excluded) was 100.6%. It was influenced mainly by higher prices of clothing, footwear and leather goods, food, dispensing chemist, medical and orthopaedic goods, cosmetic and toilet articles, other household equipment, and cultural and recreation goods. Conversely, prices of information and communication equipment and automotive fuel decreased.

Seasonally adjusted sales for sale and repair of motor vehicles⁴⁾ increased in real terms (at constant prices) by 1.9%, m-o-m, and sales adjusted for calendar effects decreased by 7.6%, y-o-y. Non-adjusted sales decreased by 10.5%, y-o-y; sales for repair of motor vehicles decreased by 12.0%, y‑o‑y, and sales for sale of motor vehicles (including spare parts) decreased by 10.1%, y‑o-y.  

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.

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¹⁾ CZ-NACE 47 – retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles.
²⁾ The difference between the development of adjusted and non-adjusted sales for sale of food was caused mainly by a different number of the above average and average selling days (as for the volume of sale).
³⁾ CZ-NACE 4791 – retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet. 
⁴⁾ CZ-NACE 45 – wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles.