Retail Trade - September 2004
Growth of sales followed the trend of preceding months
Publication Date: 18. 11. 2004
Product Code: r-9101-04
Month-on-month comparison:
In September 2004, compared with August, seasonally adjusted constant price retail sales incl. the automotive segment rose by 1.0%. This figure was predominantly affected by higher sales in the automotive segment (+2.4%) and higher sale of food (+0.9%). Sale of non-food goods dropped (-0.1%).
Year-on-year comparison :
Seasonally adjusted constant price retail sales incl. the automotive segment grew by 2.0%, of which by 0.5% in the automotive segment and by 2.7% in the remaining retail trade. The most considerable growth was recorded for sale of textiles, clothing and footwear (+12.4%), whereas maintenance and repair of motor vehicles fell (-3.0%).
Not seasonally adjusted sales were up by 0.6%, the number of working days was by one smaller. In addition to fewer working days, y-o-y data in some of the assortment types of stores were also influenced by a high comparing base of September 2003.
A fall in sales in the automotive segment (-2.4%) was due to lower sale and lower repair of motor vehicles (-4.8% and -10.2%, respectively). A year earlier, before an amendment to the VAT Act containing certain restrictions on VAT deductions was brought in, sale of cars for company purposes went up sharply. Sale of automotive fuel grew by 4.5% in September 2004.
Sales in retail trade (excl. the automotive segment) rose by 2.1%, of which in stores selling non-food goods +2.4% and in stores with food, beverages and tobacco +1.7%. The growth was lower than the average for the preceding three months and from the beginning of the year; however, as to the volume of the sales, September saw the second highest one from the beginning of the year, just like in 2003, which was then extraordinary (because September sales in preceding years were roughly on the fifth or fourth place among January-September sales).
Sales in the individual assortment types of stores developed as follows:
- sales in non-specialised stores increased by 1.2%, of which in stores with food, beverages or tobacco predominating rose by 1.5% and in stores selling predominantly non-food goods dropped by 0.2%;
- sales in specialised stores with non-food goods were up by 2.9%; with food, beverages and tobacco up by 2.5%;
- sales in specialised stores with non-food goods grew most of textiles, clothing and footwear (+10.7%). Higher sales were reported for stores with pharmaceutical and medical goods, cosmetic and toilet articles (+3.1%), with electrical appliances, hardware, furniture and other household goods and with other non-food goods (both +2.1%);
- the long-term decrease in sales of second-hand goods continued (-21.0% in September, -15.6% from the beginning of the year);
- with the exception of retail sale in non-specialised stores with non-food goods predominating, sales by all enterprises with 100 or more employees grew.
International comparison :
In September, according to Eurostat estimate, seasonally adjusted retail sales excl. the automotive segment in the EU25 were up 0.2% m-o-m; not seasonally adjusted sales increased by 2.0% y-o-y. Among EU Member States, for which data are available, sales increased y-o-y in Denmark (+8.9%), United Kingdom (+6.7%), Poland (+5.7%), Sweden (+5.3%), Portugal (+3.6%), and Spain (+0.2%). Sales fell in Luxembourg (-8.2%) and Germany (-1.8%).
Note :
Contact: Alena Hellerová, phone (+420) 274 052 921, e-mail: ahellerova@gw.czso.cz
Data source: CZSO direct survey in enterprises
End of data collection: 5 November 2004
End of data processing: 10 November 2004
Related publication: 9106-04 Monthly Survey in Retail Trade, Hotels and Restaurants ( https://csu.gov.cz )
The data are preliminary; revised data for September 2004 will be released in following two monthly News Releases; final data for each month of the year 2004 will be known in June 2005.