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Retail sales are finally higher than the year before


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July data on retail sales turned out to be better than economists’ expectations. For the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, sales turned out to be higher than a year ago.

In July 2020, retail sales at current prices were by 2,7 proc.
higher than in July 2019 and by 6.4 percent. higher than in June 2020 – informed the Central Statistical Office.

Analysts’ consensus assumed a drop of 0.4%. year on year, so there is a positive surprise. For comparison, in June the annual dynamics amounted to -1.9%, in May -8.6%, and in April as much as -22.6%.

The increase in sales is also visible in the dynamics in constant prices, which reached the annual level 3 proc. against a drop by 1.3 percent. in June, 7.7 percent. in May and 22.9 percent. in April. In monthly terms, this category recorded an increase of 6.5%.

– The largest increase in retail sales (in constant prices) compared to the corresponding period of 2019 was observed in enterprises selling furniture, RTV, household appliances “(by 15.8% against an increase of 15.9% in the previous year). Sales also increased in the following groups presented: “textiles, clothing, footwear” (by 5.3%); “Press, books, other sales in specialized stores” (by 2.3%) and “motor vehicles, motorcycles, parts (by 0.7%) – informs the Central Statistical Office.

– A drop in sales was shown by entities trading in solid, liquid and gaseous fuels (by 2.8%), food, alcoholic beverages and tobacco products (by 1.0%), as well as entities classified as “other” (by 1.4 %). Sales of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and orthopedic equipment remained unchanged, it added.

As a month ago, the Central Statistical Office did not provide data from the category “other retail sales in non-specialized stores”, which includes, among others, sale in large-format stores. This fact was commented on by the description: “Complete lack of information, the need to maintain statistical confidentiality or to fill in the items is impossible or pointless”.

We buy less and less online

As noted by the Central Statistical Office, July was another month of decline in the value of online sales – the share of these sales fell from 7.7%. in June to 6.5 percent. in July.

– The decrease in the share of sales via the Internet was shown, among others, by enterprises classified in the group “press, books, other sales in specialized stores” (from 21.8% to 19.4% respectively), as well as entities from the group “textiles, clothing, footwear” (from 19.5% a month before to 16.8%) and “furniture, radio, household appliances” (from 14.1% to 11.1%) – informs the Central Statistical Office.

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