Sales in retail trade - 1. quarter of 2006

In Q1 2006, seasonally adjusted retail sales including the automotive segment grew by 2.0% quarter-on-quarter at constant prices, in the automotive segment by 1.8% and in retail trade by 2.0%. Year-on-year, sales increased by 6.0% in total, in the automotive segment by 5.1% and in retail trade by 6.4%.

Working time availability was in Q1 2005 two days lower than in Q1 2006, not seasonally adjusted sales in retail trade including the automotive segment increased by 7.1% year-on-year at constant prices, which was the highest growth since Q3 2003. In retail trade quarterly observed sales rose by 7.0%, which was the highest increase in the history of statistical surveys (since 1997).

Since July 2005, price indices of automotive fuel have been reaching two digit values, which has with a certain postponement reflected also in the consumption respectively sale of automotive fuel. Since the middle of 2004 until Q3 2005 sale of automotive fuel recorded a dynamic growth; in Q4 sales dropped by 3.4% and in Q1 2006 sales grew only by 0.8%. The extraordinary sales growth of the automotive segment by 7.3% was hence in Q1 2006 significantly connected with the growth of sales but also repair of automotive vehicles, which was within the quarter relatively balanced (ranged from 10.1% to 12.7%).

According to the Automotive Industry Association statistics the number of first registrations of vehicles rose by 11.7%, of which the number of new vehicles increased by 9.6% and used vehicles by 14.2%. A decrease was recorded only in the registration of used commercial vehicles.

The contribution to the already mentioned record growth of retail sales had almost all assortment types of stores. Sales of non-food goods grew faster (+8.4%) than sales of food, beverages and tobacco (+5.3%). Identically to the sale and repair of motor vehicles, retail trade also had a uniform growth within the quarter (ranging from 6.8% to 7.3%). The highest growth was recorded in enterprises with 100 and more employees and with 50 to 99 employees, even though slightly, sales in other size groups of enterprises increased as well.

The growth level of sales of food, beverages and tobacco has been exceeded only nine times since 1997 in a quarterly observed periodicity, the last time it was in Q2 2003. The biggest sales growth occurred in February, the smallest in March, which was caused by a shift of Easter and Easter shopping. Non-specialised stores with food, beverages and tobacco predominating contributed to the total growth by almost one third, enterprises with more than 100 employees had the fastest growing sales, and these enterprises can be identified with most of the chain stores.

Sales of non-food goods participated on the extraordinary growth of retail sales by more than two thirds and as well as the total retail trade in Q1 2006 they also had the historically highest growth measured in a quarterly periodicity. The biggest contribution to the total growth of retail sales had specialised stores with non-food goods of which mainly stores with such a diverse assortment as books, office supplies, optical instruments, facing material, clocks and jewellery, flowers, personal computers, toys, sports equipment but also gas and solid fuels. Since the sale of individual assortments is not known, only estimates are made that the last three mentioned assortments could have had an important influence on the sales growth of this group considering also this year’s long and severe winter. The fastest growing was textile, while higher sales were showed in all of the observed size groups of stores compared to the corresponding period of 2005.