Commenting on the results, Statistics Estonia analyst Johanna Linda Pihlak said that retail trade turnover has been in continuous decline for the past year and a half.

"Compared with last February, turnover was down by 8 percent in stores selling manufactured goods and by 2 percent in grocery stores," Pihlak said.

"However, the growth in the turnover of enterprises engaged in the retail sale of automotive fuel continued, with turnover rising by 9 percent compared with February of the previous year," the analyst added.

Turnover fell most in stores selling household goods and appliances, hardware and building materials, all of which saw a by 17 percent fall on year.

Online and mail order stores also saw a double-digit drop in revenues on-year to February, Statistics Estonia says, at 14 percent.

Over the same period, stores selling textiles, clothing and footwear experienced a 5 percent fall in turnover; non-specialized stores selling predominantly manufactured goods (meaning department stores primarily) posted a 4 percent fall in revenues.

A drop in turnover was also seen in stores selling second-hand goods and non-store retail sales, ie. stalls, markets and direct sales (also by 4 percent on year to February), and in other specialized stores selling predominantly computers and their accessories, books, sports equipment, games, toys, etc. (which again was 4 percent down).

One sector that bucked the trend was pharmacies and stores selling cosmetics, which experienced a 5 percent rise in turnover on year to February, Statistics Estonia reports.

Between January and February this year, turnover at retail trade enterprises was fell by 4 percent, the agency adds.

According to the seasonally and working-day adjusted data, however, turnover was up by 1 percent, between January and February 2023.

Statistics Estonia compiled the above data on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, using data from the Estonian Tax and Customs Board.

More detailed information is available from Statistics Estonia here and here.

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