This decline in retail trade turnover was attributable chiefly to stores selling manufactured goods, as their turnover was down one tenth on year, Statistics Estonia analyst Johanna Linda Pihlak said according to a press release.

"On year, turnover fell in all types of stores selling manufactured goods," Pihlak noted. "Turnover decreased the most – by one-fifth – in stores selling via mail order or the internet."

Among stores selling manufactured goods, the decrease in turnover reached 14 percent in both stores selling textiles, clothing and footwear and in other non-specialized stores selling predominantly manufactured goods (i.e. department stores), 12 percent in stores selling household goods and appliances, hardware and building materials, 5 percent in stores selling second-hand goods and non-store retail sale (i.e. stalls, markets and direct sale), 4 percent in other specialized stores selling predominantly computers and their accessories, books, sports equipment, games, toys, etc., and 1 percent in pharmacies and stores selling cosmetics.

On year, September supermarket turnover decreased by 2 percent, while the turnover of businesses engaged in the retail sale of automotive fuel fell by 5 percent.

Compared with August, the turnover of retail trade enterprises in September decreased by 5 percent. According to seasonally and working-day adjusted data, however, retail trade turnover remained steady on month.

In the first nine months of 2023, overall retail trade turnover fell by 9 percent on year.

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