Statistics: Retail turnover growth slows in February
Retail turnover rose 4 percent on year to February 2021, to a figure of €594 million, state agency Statistics Estonia says. This represented a slight slow-down on the previous month's figures.
Jaanika Tiigiste, Statistics Estonia leading analyst, said for January the figure was 7 percent (both figures cite constant prices – ed.).
Tiigiste said: "While turnover increased in stores selling manufactured goods and in enterprises engaged in the retail sale of automotive fuel, the turnover of grocery stores declined for the first time in a while, and was 1 percent lower on year."
Between January and February this year, retail trade enterprises' turnover fell 5 percent, though when seasonally and working-day adjusted data is taken into account, the level remained largely unchanged, the agency says.
Stores selling manufactured goods saw a 7 percent rise in turnover on year to February. The largest component, at 44 percent, was recorded in stores selling via mail order or the internet.
Turnover rose by 12 percent in specialized stores predominantly selling computers and their accessories, books, sports equipment, games, toys, etc., and by 11 percent in stores selling household goods and appliances, hardware and building materials, Statistics Estonia says.
Meanwhile retail turnover fell, by 16 percent, in stores selling textiles, clothing and footwear, by 4 percent in stores selling second-hand goods and in non-store retail sale (stalls, markets, direct sale), by the same figure in pharmacies and stores selling cosmetics and by 3 percent in other non-specialized stores selling predominantly manufactured goods (i.e. department stores).
Turnover of enterprises selling auto fuel at retail rose by 8 percent on year to February 2021, likely in part the result of slashed diesel excise duties in 2020 and also a fall in the world oil price.
More detailed information is here and here.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte