Hungarian retail trade turnover dropped

Retail trade turnover at constant prices decreased by 2.5% in February, and by 2.7% in the first two months of 2008 compared to the level measured one year before according to calendar adjusted data.

 Compared to the previous month the
volume of retail sales lessened by 0.2% according to seasonally and
calendar adjusted data.
In February 2008, the domestic retail
turnover (including retail sale via mail order houses) was HUF 417 billion. The volume of retail
sales in specialized and non-specialized food, beverages and tobacco
stores decreased by 1.6% in the first two months of 2008 and by 0.8%
in February compared to same periods of the previous year. Sales
volumes for non-specialized stores (hyper-, supermarkets, groceries)
– having a major, 91.4 per cent market share – decreased by 0.8%,
while sales for specialized food, beverages and tobacco stores
declined by 1.0%. In February, according to seasonally and calendar
adjusted data, the volume of retail trade turnover of food, beverages
and tobacco stores increased by 0.2% compared to the previous month.
Non-food retail trade turnover – at
constant prices – continued to diminish: sales in the first two months and February were down by 3.8
and 4.0 percent, respectively, compared to the same periods of 2007.
Turnover declined in nearly all activity groups in February compared
to February last year, to the highest extent sales in stores for
pharmaceutical and medical goods, cosmetics and toilet articles as
well as shops for books, newspapers, stationery and other articles.
In February, non-food retail sales at constant prices– according to
seasonally and calendar adjusted data – were down by 0.5 percent
compared to the previous month.
According to a Eurostat first estimate,
in February 2008, the calendar adjusted retail sales volume for the 27 member states of the
European Union increased by 2.0%, while for euro zone countries
decreased by 0.2% compared to the same
month of the previous year. Among member states, Slovakia and
Lithuania presented the highest retail trade turnover growths at
constant prices, while – in addition to Hungary –, Germany and
Spain reported a decrease.
In February 2008, sales volume for
motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts and accessories stores – not regarded as retail trade
by the European Statistical System – increased by 4.2% compared to
low base data of February 2007 (in the same month last year the
decrease was 9.5% compared to February 2006). The retail trade
turnover of fuel was 0.9% higher at constant prices than in the
corresponding month of the previous year.