IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH DATA ECOSYSTEMS

Measured in real terms (constant 2015 prices), retail trade sales decreased by 0,8% year-on-year in July 2021. The largest negative annual growth rates were recorded for retailers in:

• household furniture, appliances and equipment (-10,2%);
• hardware, paint and glass (-6,2%); and
• food, beverages and tobacco products in specialised stores (-4,1%).

The main negative contributor to this decrease was general dealers (contributing -1,1 percentage points).

Seasonally adjusted retail trade sales decreased by 11,2% in July 2021 compared with June 2021. This followed month-on-month changes of 0,7% in June 2021 and 2,3% in May 2021. In the three months ended July 2021, seasonally adjusted retail trade sales decreased by 2,9% compared with the previous three months.

Retail trade sales increased by 8,4% in the three months ended July 2021 compared with the three months ended July 2020. The main contributors to this increase were:

• all 'other' retailers (31,9% and contributing 2,6 percentage points);
• general dealers (4,4% and contributing 2,0 percentage points); and
• retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods (10,7% and contributing 1,8 percentage points).