Retail trade - March 2020

Sale of non-food goods significantly decreased due to coronavirus

06.05.2020
Code: 120019-20
 

In March, sales adjusted for calendar effects decreased in real terms (at constant prices) by 9.3%, year‑on‑year (y-o-y). Non-adjusted sales dropped by 8.9%, y-o-y. Seasonally adjusted sales in retail trade decreased by 12.2%, month-on-month (m-o-m).

Seasonally adjusted sales in retail trade, except of motor vehicles1) decreased in real terms (at constant prices) by 12.2%, m-o-m, in March. Sales for sale of automotive fuel decreased by 15.8% and sales for sale of non-food goods by 22.7%, while sales for sale of food increased by 3.2%.

Sales in retail trade adjusted for calendar effects decreased by 9.3%, y-o-y. Sales for sale of automotive fuel dropped by 17.5% and sales for sale of non-food goods dropped by 18.5%, while sales for sale of food increased by 4.9%2).  

Non-adjusted sales in retail trade decreased by 8.9%, y-o-y. Sales for sale of automotive fuel decreased by 16.4% and sales for sale of non-food goods decreased by 17.1%. Consumers spent for food by 3.9%2) more, y-o-y.

Results for March 2020 were influenced by measures taken to prevent the spread of coronavirus because of which many stores with mostly non-food goods were closed for part of the month or their operation was limited. The most significant year-on-year sales decrease (drop by 64.9%) occurred in stores with clothing, footwear and leather goods and in stores with cultural and recreation goods (drop by 47.1%). Sales decreased also in retail sale in specialised stores with information and communication equipment (drop by 29.7%) and in retail sale of other household equipment in specialised stores (drop by 22.0%). Sales for sale of goods via mail order houses or via Internet3) increased (+20.8%). Growth of sales was reported also for the sale of dispensing chemist, medical and orthopaedic goods (+9.1%). The above mentioned overall growth of sales for food was entirely owing to retail sale in non-specialised stores with food, beverages or tobacco predominating (growth of sales by 5.2%). Sales in retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores decreased by 17.3%.

The price deflator in retail trade, except for motor vehicles and motorcycles related to the corresponding period of the previous year (VAT excluded) was 102.7%. It was influenced mainly by higher prices of food, clothing, footwear and leather goods, dispensing chemist, medical and orthopaedic goods, cosmetic and toilet articles, other household equipment, and cultural and recreation goods. On the other hand, prices decreased in automotive fuel and retail sale of information and communication equipment in specialised stores.

Seasonally adjusted sales for sale and repair of motor vehicles4) decreased in real terms (at constant prices) by 29.3%, m-o-m, and sales adjusted for calendar effects decreased by 31.7%, y-o-y. Non-adjusted sales decreased by 29.5%, y-o-y; sales for repair of motor vehicles decreased by 26.5%, y‑o‑y, and sales for sale of motor vehicles (including spare parts) decreased by 30.3%, y‑o-y.

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

For the whole Q1 2020, sales in retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles1) adjusted for calendar effects decreased in real terms (at constant prices) by 0.7%, y-o-y; non-adjusted sales increased by 0.6% (there was one working day more in the Q1 2020 compared to the Q1 2019). Non-adjusted sales for sale of food increased by 4.1%, y-o-y, while sales for sale of non‑food goods decreased by 0.8%, y-o-y, and sales for sale of automotive fuel dropped by 4.9%, y-o-y. Sales for sale and repair of motor vehicles4) adjusted for calendar effects decreased by 15.2%, y-o-y; non-adjusted ones decreased by 13.9%. Non-adjusted sales for repair of motor vehicles dropped by 11.4%, y-o-y; sales for sale of motor vehicles (including spare parts) decreased by 14.5%, y‑o‑y.

We note that with regards to extraordinary measures in retail trade in relation to the Covid 19 disease, previously published data might undergo a significant revision. The potential revision is owing to a lower number of enterprises that had filled in questionnaires (reports) and also because part of the data, which are typically modelled based on VAT tax returns for previous periods had to be estimated.

We express our gratitude to all enterprises, which provided data to the CZSO under current difficult circumstances and thus enabled the CZSO to process the results.
 

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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 March 2020 are preliminary. Final data for all months of 2020 will be published in March 2021.
1) CZ-NACE 47 – retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles.
2) The difference between the development of adjusted and non-adjusted sales for sale of food was caused mainly by a different number of the above average and average selling days (as for the volume of sale). 
3) CZ-NACE 4791 – retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet.
4) 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 Information Service Activities 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: 27 April 2020
End of data processing: 30 April 2020
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: 5 June 2020

 

  •      amal050620.docx
  • Annexes:
  • Table 1 Retail trade and sale and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (year-on-year indices, non adjusted data)
  • Table 2 Sales in main assortment types of stores (year-on-year changes, decomposition of increase – year-on-year)
  • Table 3 Retail trade and sale1 and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (year-on-year indices, adjusted for calendar effects)
  • Chart 1 Sales in retail trade except of motor vehicles and motorcycles – base indices, constant prices
  • Chart 2 Sales in retail trade except of motor vehicles and motorcycles – international comparison, seasonally adjusted, constant prices
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Published: 06.05.2020
The data are valid as of the release date of the publication.


Contact: Information Services Unit - Headquarters, tel.: +420 274 056 789, email: infoservis@czso.cz