Retail sales decreased

According to calendar adjusted data, the volume of retail sales decreased by 1.4% in August, and by 2.0% in the first eight months of 2008 compared to the same period a year ago.

 Compared to the previous month, the
volume of retail sales was unchanged according to seasonally and
calendar adjusted data. In the first eight months of 2008, the
domestic retail turnover (including retail sale via mail order houses) was HUF 4003 billion, out
of this a turnover of HUF 556 billion was generated in August. In the first eight months of
2008, specialized and non-specialized food, beverages and tobacco
(53%) furniture and household goods (19%), book, newspaper and other
(11%) stores played a major role in retailing.

The volume of retail sales in
specialized and non-specialized food, beverages and tobacco stores decreased by 1.4% in the first
eight months of 2008 and by 0.7% in August compared to the same
period a year ago. Sales volumes for non-specialized stores (hyper-,
supermarkets, groceries) – having a major, 92% market share –
declined by 0.8% and for specialized food, beverages and tobacco
stores increased by 1.1%. In August, according to seasonally and
calendar adjusted data, sales volumes for food, beverages and tobacco
stores were unchanged compared to July.

The turnover of non-food retail trade –
at constant prices – was down by 2.5% in the first eight months of 2008 and by 2.0% in August
compared to the same period a year ago. In August, at constant
prices, retail sales volumes fell only in the non-specialized as well
as in the furniture and household goods stores while sales volumes
increased in all other activity groups compared to the same period a
year ago. The highest increases were in mail order houses as well as
in pharmaceutical and medical goods, cosmetics articles stores
compared to August 2007. In August, non-food retail sales at constant
prices – according to seasonally and calendar adjusted data –
decreased by 0.2% compared to the previous month.

According to a Eurostat first estimate,
in August 2008, the volume of retail trade – according to seasonally and calendar adjusted data –
decreased in the EU27 as well as in the Eurozone. The rate of decline
was 0.2% on average in the 27 member states of the European Union and
1.8% in the Eurozone compared to the same month a year ago. The
highest increase was still observed in Romania (17.3%), while the
largest decrease was in Latvia (8.9%).

Sales volume for motor vehicles and
motor vehicle parts and accessories stores – not regarded as retailing by the European
Statistical System – continued to diminish in Hungary: it fell
significantly by 15.9% in August 2008 and by 3.8% in the first eight
months of 2008 compared to the same period a year ago. At constant
prices, the retail trade turnover of automotive fuel decreased by
0.2% in August compared to the same period a year ago.