Retail’s boat is still sailing on troubled waters

According to KSH’s quick report, volume sales in retail were down by 4.7 percent in the first four months of 2010 and by 5 percent in April, compared to the same period in 2009. Domestic retail network and mail order companies generated sales of HUF 2,163 billion in the first four months of 2010 – from this HUF 606 billion was realised in April. Food and food type products represented 46 percent of retail sales; the turnover of food stores decreased by 3.8 percent in January-April and by 5.7 percent in April. In April 2010 hypermarkets, supermarkets and small shops sold 6.6 percent less, in terms of volume, compared with April 2009. Volume sales in non-food retail were 4.2 percent lower in January-April 2010 than twelve months earlier; compared with last April it fell by 3.6 percent.