Measured in real terms (constant 2019 prices), retail trade sales decreased by 1,6% year-on-year in March 2023. The largest negative contributors to this decrease were:

·         general dealers (-1,9% and contributing -0,9 of a percentage point); and

·          retailers in food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores (-6,6% and contributing -0,6 of a percentage point).

The positive contributor was retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods (6,3% and contributing 1,0 percentage point).

Seasonally adjusted retail trade sales decreased by 0,7% in March 2023 compared with February 2023. This followed month-on-month changes of -0,3% in February 2023 and 1,4% in January 2023.

Retail trade sales decreased by 1,0% in the first quarter of 2023 compared with the first quarter of 2022. The largest negative contributors to this decrease were:

·          retailers in hardware, paint and glass (-5,7% and contributing -0,5 of a percentage point);

·          general dealers (-1,0% and contributing -0,4 of a percentage point); and

·          retailers in food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores (-4,8% and contributing -0,4 of a percentage point).

The positive contributor was retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods (4,7% and contributing 0,8 of a percentage point).

Seasonally adjusted retail trade sales increased by 0,8% in the first quarter of 2023 compared with the fourth quarter of 2022. The main contributor to this increase was retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods (4,4% and contributing 0,8 of a percentage point).