Sales in Slovakia’s retail sector fell for the second consecutive month and failed to reach last year’s level. Compared to September 2012, retail sales fell 1 percent while in August the decline was 0.2 percent.
According to the Slovak Statistics Office, in a monthly comparison, retail sales in September compared to August decreased by 0.3 percent, while in August compared to July of this year they rose by 0.2 percent. The annual retail sales decline by 1 percent was related primarily to the decline in retail sales of miscellaneous goods in specialised stores by 8.9 percent and in retail trade with food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores that dropped by 0.7 percent.
The turnover increased in retail of automotive fuels in specialised outlets by 4.2 percent, in retail trade in non-specialised stores by 2.3 percent and in retail trade of information and communication technologies by 0.7 percent.
The SITA newswire quoted the Statistics Office as reporting the opposite trend in September in the wholesale sector, where sales increased by 3.5 percent compared to the same period last year. Sales in wholesale trade recorded a month-on-month increase in September, by 2.5 percent.
(Source: SITA)
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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