Retail sales in Slovakia amounted to 37.9 billion crowns (current prices) in October 1999, down 2% compared to October 1998. In September, retail sales were down 0.9% compared to a year ago, marking the first drop in 1999, the Slovak Statistics Bureau reported December 7.
In the first 10 months of 1999, retail sales totaled 362 billion crowns, up 6% from the same period in 1998. The downward development in October resulted from a continuing year-on-year decrease of revenues in hotels and restaurants (36.2%), in sales, maintenance, and service of cars and motorcycles, along with retail sales of fuel (down 12.6%) and in retail sales of non-trading organizations (down 5.2%). Retail firms reported a 14.1% growth in sales.
