Retail trade still down

Total sales in the retail sector were 3 per cent down in January 2008, compared to 2007. According to a KSH report, overall sales in the retail sector amounted to HUF 416 billion in January. Sales in the food retail sector were down by 2.4 per cent compared to 2007. Sales in January were 0.3 per cent lower than in December. The turnover of general stores, which account for 91.4 per cent of total sales, were down by 2.3 percent in January, while that of specialised stores dropped by 3.5 per cent. Sales in the non-food retail sector showed stagnation in January.