Retail turnover rose by 4% YoY in February, to a figure of EUR 594 million, state agency Statistics Estonia said. This represented a slight slow-down on the previous month’s figures.
Jaanika Tiigiste, Statistics Estonia leading analyst, said in January the figure was 7% (both figures cite constant prices).
Tiigiste said: “While turnover increased in stores selling manufactured goods and in enterprises engaged in the retail sale of automotive fuel, the turnover of grocery stores declined for the first time in a while, and was 1% lower YoY.”
Between January and February, retail trade enterprises’ turnover fell by 5%, though when seasonally and working-day adjusted data is taken into account, the level remained largely unchanged.
Stores selling manufactured goods saw a 7% YoY rise in turnover. The largest component, at 44%, was recorded in stores selling via mail order or the Internet.
Turnover rose by 12% in specialized stores predominantly selling computers and their accessories, books, sports equipment, games, toys, etc., and by 11% in stores selling household goods and appliances, hardware and building materials.
Meanwhile retail turnover fell by 16%, in stores selling textiles, clothing and footwear, by 4% in stores selling second-hand goods and in non-store retail sale (stalls, markets, direct sale), by the same figure in pharmacies and stores selling cosmetics and by 3% in other non-specialized stores selling predominantly manufactured goods (i.e. department stores).
Turnover of enterprises selling auto fuel at retail rose by 8%, likely in part the result of slashed diesel excise duties in 2020 and also a fall in the world oil price. (ERR/Business World Magazine)
