Retail sales volume falling

Hungarian retail sales volume falls adjusted 3.2% in February. January-February sales volume was down 3.0% from the same period in 2008 – according to KSH's new data.

 
KSH's retail sales figures have included sales of vehicle fuel since January 2009, in line with a new statistical classification of economic activities in the EU. Unadjusted twelve-month retail sales fell 4.9% in February, dropping at a faster rate than the 3.3% decline in January. Unadjusted twelve-month retail sales have fallen every month since April 2007.Unadjusted twelve-month food sales fell 2.5% in February and non-food retail sales declined 10.1%. Car and car parts sales plunged 29.5%, but fuel sales rose 0.7%. Drug sales fell 4.5%, while sales of cosmetics rose 6.0%. Sales of furniture, household appliances and building materials dropped 19.5%, accelerating from a 11.5% contraction in January. Clothing and footwear sales fell just 2.7% and book, newspaper and paper product sales were down 5.9%. Retail accounts for more than 60% of the consumer basket in Hungary.