Sales decreasing under 3%

According to Hungarian Central Statistic Office's calendar adjusted data, the volume of retail sales decreased by 2.8% in January compared to the same period of the previous year.

 In January 2009, domestic retail
turnover (including retail sale via mail order houses) was HUF 481 billion. In January 2009,
specialized and non-specialized food, beverages and tobacco (48%), automotive fuel (14%) furniture and
household goods (13%) stores played a major role in retailing; other
stores had a 25 percent market share.

The volume of retail sales in
non-specialized and specialized food, beverages and tobacco stores decreased by 1.5% in January
compared to the same period of the previous year. Sales volumes for
non-specialized stores (hyper-, supermarkets, groceries) – having a
major, 91% market share – declined by 1.6% and for specialized
food, beverages and tobacco stores decreased by 0.6%. In January,
according to seasonally and calendar adjusted data, sales volumes for
food, beverages and tobacco stores remained unchanged compared to
December 2008.

The turnover of non-food retail trade –
at constant prices – was down by 5.7% in January compared to the same period of the
previous year. In January, retail sales increased in volume only in
textiles, clothing and footwear shops as well as – accounting for a
small weight out of total turnover – in second-hand goods shops,
and through mail order houses while sales declined in other activity
groups especially in furniture and household goods shops as well as
in non-specialized stores compared to January 2008. According to
seasonally and calendar adjusted data, at constant prices, sales in
non-food retailing increased by 0.6% compared to December 2008.

At constant prices, retail sales of
automotive fuel increased by 0.1% in January 2009 compared to the same period of the previous
year. In January, according to seasonally and calendar adjusted data,
sales volumes for automotive fuel increased by 0.5% compared to
December 2008.

According to a Eurostat first estimate
– based on seasonally and calendar adjusted data –, in January 2009, retail sales volumes for
the 27 member states of the European Union decreased by 1.2%, and for
the eurozone countries by 2.2% compared to the same month of the
previous year. Out of member states, in volume terms, retail sales
increased at the highest rate in the United Kingdom while Latvia and
Lithuania showed the sharpest falls.

In January 2009, sales for motor
vehicles and motor vehicle parts and accessories stores – not regarded as retailing by the European
Statistical System – fell significantly in volume by 31.9% compared
to the same period of the previous year.