IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH DATA ECOSYSTEMS

Measured in real terms (constant 2015 prices), retail trade sales increased by 15,8% year-on-year in May 2021. The largest annual growth rates were recorded for:

·         all ‘other’ retailers (87,7%);

·         retailers in food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores (54,2%); and

·         retailers in household furniture, appliances and equipment (52,3%).

The main contributors to this increase were:

·         all ‘other’ retailers (contributing 5,2 percentage points);

·         retailers in food, beverages and tobacco products in specialised stores (contributing 3,1 percentage points);

·         retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods (contributing 2,4 percentage points); and

·          retailers in household furniture, appliances and equipment (contributing 2,0 percentage points).

Seasonally adjusted retail trade sales increased by 2,1% in May 2021 compared with April 2021. This followed month-on-month changes of -0,6% in April 2021 and -4,4% in March 2021. In the three months ended May 2021, seasonally adjusted retail trade sales decreased by 0,1% compared with the previous three months.

Retail trade sales increased by 24,3% in the three months ended May 2021 compared with the three months ended May 2020. The main contributors to this increase were:

·         retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods (68,7% and contributing 9,3 percentage points); and

·         all ‘other’ retailers (61,5% and contributing 4,7 percentage points).