Johanna Linda Pihlak, analyst at Statistics Estonia, said that the rise is driven by enterprises selling automotive fuel and manufactured goods.

 "On the other hand, the decline in the turnover volume of grocery stores accelerated in March, as the turnover volume of these stores was down by 7 percent year on year," added Pihlak.

Fuel sellers' turnover rose by 15 percent compared to 2024.

"The increase in the turnover volume of these enterprises was influenced by the low reference base of March last year and by motor fuel prices being cheaper than last year," explained Pihlak.

Turnover volume of stores selling manufactured goods increased by 5 percent.

Specialised stores selling goods such as computers, sports equipment, and games saw a 25 percent boost.

Several other areas also saw growth, such as pharmacies (7 percent) and stores selling cosmetics (2 percent).

However, department stores' turnover dropped by 9 percent, and shops selling household goods and appliances, hardware and building materials fell by 5 percent. The trade in second-hand goods fell by 2 percent and turnover by 1 percent in stores selling textiles, clothing and footwear.

Compared with February this year, the volume of retail trade turnover grew by 12 percent in March. According to the seasonally and working-day adjusted data, turnover volume was down by 1 percent from the previous month.

In the first three months of 2025 (January–March), the volume of retail trade turnover increased by 3 percent compared with the same period of the previous year.

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