IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH DATA ECOSYSTEMS

Measured in real terms (constant 2015 prices), retail trade sales decreased by 2,5% year-on-year in March 2021. The largest negative annual growth rates were recorded for:

·         all ‘other’ retailers (-18,5%);

·         retailers in pharmaceuticals and medical goods, cosmetics and toiletries (-10,7%); and

·         general dealers (-9,3%).

The main negative contributor to this decrease was general dealers (contributing -4,5 percentage points).

Seasonally adjusted retail trade sales decreased by 3,7% in March 2021 compared with February 2021. This followed month-on-month changes of 6,9% in February 2021 and -2,3% in January 2021. In the first quarter of 2021, seasonally adjusted retail trade sales increased by 1,5% compared with the fourth quarter of 2020.

Retail trade sales decreased by 1,3% in the first quarter of 2021 compared with the first quarter of 2020. The main negative contributor to this decrease was all ‘other’ retailers (-18,7% and contributing -2,4 percentage points).