For the whole year 2020, non-adjusted sales in retail trade decreased by 0.6%.

Seasonally adjusted sales in retail trade, except of motor vehicles¹⁾ increased in real terms (at constant prices) by 8.3%, m-o-m, in December. Sales for sale of non-food goods increased by 17.1%, sales for sale of automotive fuel increased by 0.8%, whereas sales for food decreased by 0.2%.

Sales in retail trade adjusted for calendar effects increased by 1.4%, y-o-y. Sales for sale of non-food goods increased by 3.9% and sales for sale of food increased by 0.1%, whereas sales for sale of automotive fuel dropped by 9.0%. December 2020 had two working days more than December 2019.

Non-adjusted sales in retail trade increased by 3.7%, y-o-y. Sales for sale of non-food goods increased by 7.5% and sales for sale of food increased by 0.5%, whereas sales for sale of automotive fuel decreased by 6.6%.

Retail trade was influenced by sales restrictions or complete closures of stores with some assortments of non-food goods due to measures against the spread of coronavirus in the beginning and in the end of the month. The most considerable increase was in retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet²⁾ (by 30.4%). An increase of sale was reported by retail sale of other household equipment in specialised stores (by 8.5%), specialised stores with information and communication equipment (by 4.0%), and in dispensing chemist, medical and orthopaedic goods, and cosmetic and toilet articles in specialised stores (by 2.2%). A sales increase was also reported by non-specialised stores with food, beverages or tobacco predominating (by 1.7%). Conversely, a year-on-year drop of sales continued in retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores (by 19.8%), retail sale of cultural and recreation goods in specialised stores (by 10.4%), and in retail sale of clothing, footwear and leather goods in specialised stores (by 9.1%).

The price deflator in retail trade, except for motor vehicles and motorcycles related to the corresponding period of the previous year (VAT excluded) was 99.8%. It was influenced mainly by lower prices of information and communication equipment and automotive fuel. Conversely, prices of other household equipment, dispensing chemist, medical and orthopaedic goods, cosmetic and toilet articles, cultural and recreation goods, clothing, footwear and leather goods, and food increased.

Seasonally adjusted sales for sale and repair of motor vehicles³⁾ increased in real terms (at constant prices) by 1.2%, m-o-m, and sales adjusted for calendar effects decreased by 7.0%, y-o-y. Non-adjusted sales decreased by 0.7%, y-o-y; sales for repair of motor vehicles decreased by 0.5%, y‑o‑y, and sales for sale of motor vehicles (including spare parts) decreased by 0.8%, y‑o-y.
 

Development in the fourth quarter of 2020

For the whole Q4 2020, sales in retail trade, except of motor vehicles¹⁾ adjusted for calendar effects decreased in real terms (at constant prices) by 1.2%, y-o-y, the same as non-adjusted ones. Non‑adjusted sales for sale of non-food goods decreased by 0.9%, y-o-y, and sales for sale of automotive fuel by 9.5%, y-o-y, whereas sales for sale of food increased by 0.8%, y-o-y. In the automotive segment³⁾, sales adjusted for calendar effects decreased in real terms (at constant prices) by 7.6%, y-o-y. Non-adjusted sales decreased by 7.9%, y-o-y. Non‑adjusted sales for sale of motor vehicles (including spare parts) decreased by 7.1%, y-o-y, and sales for repair of motor vehicles dropped by 10.7%, y-o-y.
 

Development in 2020

For the whole year 2020, sales in retail trade, except of motor vehicles¹⁾ adjusted for calendar effects decreased in real terms (at constant prices) by 0.9%, y-o-y; non-adjusted sales decreased by 0.6%. Non-adjusted sales for sale of automotive fuel dropped by 7.9%, whereas sales for sale of non-food goods increased by 0.6%. Sales for sale of food stagnated despite the fact that retail sale in non-specialised stores with food, beverages or tobacco predominating increased by 0.8%. Sales in retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores decreased by 12.6%. The highest growth of sales was reported for sales in retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet (by 28.2%). In specialised stores with non-food goods, sales increased in retail sale of information and communication equipment in specialised stores (by 2.5%); for dispensing chemist, medical and orthopaedic goods, and cosmetic and toilet articles sales grew by 1.5% and in retail sale of other household equipment in specialised stores sales increased by 1.2%. Decreases of sales occurred in retail sale of cultural and recreation goods in specialised stores (by 10.9%) and in retail sale of clothing, footwear and leather goods in specialised stores (by 29.6%). The average price deflator for 2020 was 100.9%.

In the automotive segment³⁾, sales adjusted for calendar effects decreased in real terms (at constant prices) by 15.4%, y‑o‑y; non-adjusted sales decreased by 15.3%, y-o-y. Non‑adjusted sales for repair of motor vehicles decreased by 13.0%, y-o-y, and sales for sale of motor vehicles (including spare parts) decreased by 15.9%, y-o-y.

International comparison of retail sales development in Member States of the EU is available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/short-term-business-statistics/publications.
 

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Notes:

All data in the text of the News Release are at constant prices.
Enterprises are classified to the economic activity according to their principal (prevailing) activity, which is such an activity, from which the enterprise gets the highest value added.
Data for November 2020 have been revised. Data for December 2020 are preliminary. Final data for all months of 2020 will be published in March 2021.
We point out that since the way estimates for non-surveyed part of the sample are made has changed, previously released data may be revised more.
¹⁾ CZ-NACE 47 – retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles.
²⁾ CZ-NACE 4791 – retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet. 
³⁾ CZ-NACE 45 – wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles.

Responsible head at the CZSO: Marie Boušková, Director of the Trade, Transport, Services, Tourism, and Environmental Statistics Department, phone number: (+420) 274 052 935, e-mail: marie.bouskova@czso.cz
Contact person: Jana Gotvaldová, Head of the Trade, Transport, and Services Statistics Unit, phone number: (+420) 274 052 691, e-mail: jana.gotvaldova@czso.cz
Method of data acquisition: direct survey of the CZSO (“SP 1–12”)
End of data collection: 28 January 2021
End of data processing: 2 February 2021
Related outputs: Base indices and y-o-y indices since 2000 and 2001, respectively, are available in time series
(https://www.czso.cz/csu/czso/sales_indices_monthly_retail_trade_hotels_and_restaurants_time_series).
Next News Release will be published on: 15 March 2021