Sales in hypermarkets also decreased in November

According to data of Hungarian Statistic Office, the volume of retail sales decreased by 2,0% in November, and by 1.9% in the first eleven months of 2008 compared to the same period of the previous year.

 In the first eleven months of 2008,
domestic retail turnover (including retail sale via mail order houses) was HUF 5656 billion, out of
this a turnover of HUF 541 billion was generated in November. In the
first eleven 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 1.2% in the first
eleven months of 2008 and by 0.7% in November 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 1,0% and for specialized food, beverages and
tobacco stores increased by 1,7%. In November, according to
seasonally and calendar adjusted data, sales volumes for food,
beverages and tobacco stores decreased by 0,2% compared to October.

The turnover of non-food retail trade –
at constant prices – was down by 2.5% in the first eleven months of 2008 and by 2.8% in
November compared to the same period of the previous year.

In November, retail sales volumes
increased in pharmaceutical and medical goods, cosmetics and toilet articles shops while sales
declined in nearly all activity groups, especially in non-specialized stores compared with November 2007.
According to seasonally and calendar adjusted data, at constant
prices, sales in non-food retailing were 0.4% lower than in October.

According to a Eurostat first estimate,
retail sales volume – based on calendar adjusted data – in November 2008, both in the EU-27 member
states as well as in Eurozone countries was lower than in the same
month a year ago. The rate of decline was 0.2% on average in the 27
member states of the European Union and 1.5% in the Eurozone compared
to the same month a year ago. The highest increase was still observed in Romania
(6.8%), while the largest decrease was in Latvia (15.1%).

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 by
6,7% in the first eleven months of 2008 and significantly by 21.3% in
November 2008 compared to the same period a year ago. At constant
prices, the retail trade turnover of automotive fuel was essentially
unchanged in the first eleven months of 2008 and decreased by 0.6% in
November compared to the same period a year ago.