Retail sales decreased

According to calendar adjusted data, the volume of retail sales decreased by 1.4% in August, and by 2.0% in the first eight months of 2008 compared to the same period a year ago.

 In the first eight months of 2008, the
domestic retail turnover (including retail sale via mail order houses) was HUF 4003 billion, out
of this a turnover of HUF 556 billion was generated in August. In the first eight months of
2008, specialized and non-specialized food, beverages and tobacco
(53%) 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
eight months of 2008 and by 0.7% in August compared to the same
period a year ago. Sales volumes for non-specialized stores (hyper-,
supermarkets, groceries) – having a major, 92% market share –
declined by 0.8% and for specialized food, beverages and tobacco
stores increased by 1.1%. In August, according to seasonally and
calendar adjusted data, sales volumes for food, beverages and tobacco
stores were unchanged compared to July.

The turnover of non-food retail trade –
at constant prices – was down by 2.5% in the first eight months of 2008 and by 2.0% in August
compared to the same period a year ago. In August, at constant
prices, retail sales volumes fell only in the non-specialized as well
as 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 mail order houses as well as
in pharmaceutical and medical goods, cosmetics articles stores
compared to August 2007. In August, non-food retail sales at constant
prices – according to seasonally and calendar adjusted data –
decreased by 0.2% compared to the previous month.

According to a Eurostat first estimate,
in August 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 0.2% on average in the 27 member states of the European Union and
1.8% in the Eurozone compared to the same month a year ago. The
highest increase was still observed in Romania (17.3%), while the
largest decrease was in Latvia (8.9%).

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
significantly by 15.9% in August 2008 and by 3.8% in the first eight
months of 2008 compared to the same period a year ago. At constant
prices, the retail trade turnover of automotive fuel decreased by
0.2% in August compared to the same period a year ago.