IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH DATA ECOSYSTEMS

Measured in real terms (constant 2015 prices), retail trade sales increased by 95,8% year-on-year in April 2021. The largest annual growth rates were recorded for:

·         retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods (1 675,6%);

·         retailers in hardware, paint and glass (814,4%);

·         retailers in household furniture, appliances and equipment (737,6%); and

·         all ‘other’ retailers (677,8%).

The main contributors to this increase were:

·         retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods (contributing 34,5 percentage points);

·         all ‘other’ retailers (contributing 17,8 percentage points);

·         retailers in hardware, paint and glass (contributing 14,5 percentage points); and

·         general dealers (contributing 10,4 percentage points).

Seasonally adjusted retail trade sales decreased by 0,8% in April 2021 compared with March 2021. This followed month-on-month changes of -4,5% in March 2021 and 7,7% in February 2021. In the three months ended April 2021, seasonally adjusted retail trade sales increased by 2,2% compared with the previous three months.

Retail trade sales increased by 18,7% in the three months ended April 2021 compared with the three months ended April 2020. The main contributors to this increase were retailers in:

·         textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods (74,7% and contributing 8,9 percentage points); and

·         hardware, paint and glass (49,4% and contributing 3,3 percentage points).