IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH DATA ECOSYSTEMS

Measured in real terms (constant 2015 prices), retail trade sales increased by 5,3% year-on-year in December 2017. The highest annual growth rates were recorded for:

• all 'other' retailers (14,7%); and
• retailers in household furniture, appliances and equipment (10,0%).

The main contributors to the 5,3% increase, with each contributing 1,4 percentage points, were:

• all 'other' retailers;
• general dealers; and
• retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods.
  In 2017, retail trade sales increased by 3,0% compared with 2016. The main contributors to this increase were:
• all 'other' retailers (11,3% and contributing 1,2 percentage points); and
• general dealers (1,1% and contributing 0,5 of a percentage point).

Seasonally adjusted retail trade sales decreased by 2,6% month-on-month in December 2017. This followed month-on-month changes of 3,8% in November 2017 and -0,1% in October 2017. In the fourth quarter of 2017, seasonally adjusted retail trade sales increased by 2,2% compared with the previous quarter.

Retail trade sales increased by 5,6% in the fourth quarter of 2017 compared with the fourth quarter of 2016. The main contributors to this increase were:

• all 'other' retailers (16,8% and contributing 1,7 percentage points);
• retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods (7,7% and contributing 1,5 percentage points); and
• general dealers (3,0% and contributing 1,3 percentage points).