Hungarians purchase less

According to calendar adjusted data, the volume of retail sales decreased by 1.6% in September, and by 2.0% in the first nine months of 2008 compared to the same period a year ago.

 In the first nine months of 2008, the
domestic retail turnover (including retail sale via mail order houses) was HUF 4548 billion, out
of this a turnover of HUF 545 billion was generated in September. In the first nine months of
2008, specialized and non-specialized food, beverages and tobacco (52%), 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
nine months of 2008 and by 0.8% in September compared to the same
period a year ago. Sales volumes for non-specialized stores (hyper-,
supermarkets, groceries) – having a major, 91% market share –
declined by 1.1% and for specialized food, beverages and tobacco
stores increased by 2.0%. In September, according to seasonally and
calendar adjusted data, sales volumes for food, beverages and tobacco
stores declined by 0.1% compared to August.

The turnover of non-food retail trade –
at constant prices – was down by 2.4% in the first nine months of 2008 and by 2.1% in September
compared to the same period a year ago. In September, at constant
prices, retail sales volumes fell only 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 pharmaceutical and medical goods, cosmetics articles stores
compared to September 2007. In September, non-food retail sales at
constant prices – according to seasonally and calendar adjusted
data – decreased by 0.3% compared to the previous month.

In the national retail turnover,
Central-Hungary continued to have the highest share; its proportion amounted to 38% in the second quarter
of 2008. Other regions have roughly equal (9-12%) shares in retail
sales. In quarter 2, the volume of retail sales fell in all regions,
the smallest decrease was in Central Transdanubia (1.9%), the largest
decrease was in Northern Great Plain (3.4%).

According to a Eurostat first estimate,
in September 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 0.4% on average in the 27 member states of the
European Union and 1.6% in the Eurozone compared to the same month a
year ago. The highest increase was still observed in Romania (15.0%),
while the largest decrease was in Latvia (13.4%).

Sales volume for motor vehicles and
motor vehicle parts and accessories stores – not regarded as retailing by the European
Statistical System – in Hungary fell by 4.3% in the first nine
months of 2008 and by 3.4 % in September compared to the same period
a year ago. At constant prices, the retail trade turnover of
automotive fuel was essentially unchanged in the first nine months of
2008 and decreased by 0.8% in September compared to the same period a
year ago.