IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH DATA ECOSYSTEMS

Measured in real terms (constant 2015 prices), retail trade sales decreased by 0,4% year-on-year in December 2019. The largest negative contributors to this decrease were:

• general dealers (-0,8% and contributing -0,3 of a percentage point);
• retailers in hardware, paint and glass (-3,7% and contributing -0,2 of a percentage point); and
• all 'other' retailers (-1,7% and contributing -0,2 of a percentage point).

In 2019, retail trade sales increased by 1,2% compared with 2018. The main contributors to this increase were:

• general dealers (1,1% and contributing 0,5 of a percentage point);
• retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods (1,8% and contributing 0,3 of a percentage point); and
• all 'other' retailers (1,8% and contributing 0,2 of a percentage point).

Seasonally adjusted retail trade sales decreased by 3,1% in December 2019 compared with November 2019. This followed month-on-month changes of 2,0% in November 2019 and 0,0% in October 2019. In the fourth quarter of 2019, seasonally adjusted retail trade sales increased by 0,4% compared with the previous quarter.

Retail trade sales increased by 0,8% in the fourth quarter of 2019 compared with the fourth quarter of 2018. The largest contributors to this increase were:

• general dealers (1,0% and contributing 0,4 of a percentage point); and
• retailers in food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores (3,8% and contributing 0,3 of a percentage point).