Official statistics: Five-month retail trade turnover 6.4 pct up YoY

The retail trade turnover over January - May 2018 was 6.4 pct higher YoY, mainly due to growth in sales of non-food and food products, beverages and tobacco, the National Institute of Statistics (INS) said in a release on Tuesday. 

Expressed as raw series, growth in the retail turnover was prompted by the 7.2 percent growth in non-food sales, the 7 pct advance in sales of foods, tobacco and beverages, and the 4.3 pct growth in automotive fuel sales in specialized stores. 

Expressed as workday and seasonally adjusted series, the Jan - May retail turnover advanced 7.5 pct YoY following growth in non-food sales (+8.8 pct), sales of food, beverages and tobacco (+7.5 pct) and sales of automotive fuels in specialized stores (+5.2 pct). 

The retail turnover (except for trade in motor vehicles and motorcycles) this May was 6.4 percent up YoY as raw series, and 6.6 pct higher as workday and seasonally adjusted series, with automotive fuel sales, non-food sales and sales of food, beverages and tobacco witnessing major advances in both reporting variants. 

Expressed as raw series, the retail turnover (except for trade in motor vehicles and motorcycles) this May was 4.1 pct higher compared to April 2018 as an effect of growth in automotive fuel sales in specialized stores (+8.3 pct), sales of non-foods (+3.4 pct) and sales of food, beverages and tobacco (+2.2 pct). 

Expressed as workday and seasonally adjusted series, the retail turnover advanced 2.1 percent in May from the previous month, following growth in sales of food, beverages and tobacco (+1.5 pct), non-food sales (0.9 pct) and automotive fuel sales in specialized stores (+0.8 pct).