Decrease in retail sales in May 2022

Economic indicators
Decrease in retail sales in May 2022

The volume of sales in retail trade, excluding fuels, has decreased by 1.6% in May 2022 compared to the same month last year.

In the same period, the sharpest increases were registered for ‘Textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods in specialised stores’, ‘Retail sale of other goods in specialised stores’, ‘Dispensing chemist; retail sale of medical and orthopaedic goods, cosmetic and toilet articles in specialised stores’ and ‘Other retail sale in non-specialised stores’, i.e. increases of 23.4%, 11.0%, 6.9% and 6.8%, respectively.

The sharpest decreases were observed in ‘Other household equipment in specialised stores’, ‘Retail trade not in stores, stalls or markets’, ‘Retail sale in non-specialised stores with food, beverages or tobacco predominating’ and ‘Retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet’ i.e. decreases of 9.2%, 7.6%, 5.9% and 4.9%.

These indices are expressed with reference year 2015=100.

From January 2021, following the new European FRIBS regulation (Regulation (EU) 2019/2152), breakdowns for retail trade have changed. Some breakdowns no longer exist and new ones have been implemented. Our methodology also changed: the main data source is the VAT declaration of enterprises to the FPS Finances, and no longer a survey. Only +/- 340 major enterprises continue to answer the survey. Indices have been recalculated since 2010 with the new methodology.