In the initial three quarters of 2012 the volume of retail sales declined by 1.5 percent year-on-year that has been the consequence mainly of lower sales of non-food products and automotive fuel. Mail order and internet sales have continued to boom. Turnover of food has been practically unchanged in the past nine months. In September 2012 total retail sales declined by 3.1 percent, whereas there are several expanding sub sectors such as, for example, trade in non-specialized stores, textiles, clothing and footwear as well as cosmetics articles. The overall unfavorable data have not been a purely Hungarian phenomenon: this trend has been typical of several other countries and regions in Europe.

According to currently available Eurostat data, in September retail sales declined in nine EU countries. Contraction averaged 0.8 percent in the euro-zone, while the EU 27 recorded an average increase of 0.3 percent. As far as the Visegrád countries are concerned, no country could register volume growth (Czech data are unpublished as yet), decline in Bulgaria was on par with Hungary’s and Slovenia recorded contraction of 4.5 percent. The Baltic States and Luxembourg could only perform relatively well.

In September the 3.1 percent decrease year-on-year of retail turnover has been the consequence primarily of contraction in sales of furniture and electrical goods, food and automotive fuels. Sales at non-food stores have tended to increase, except for the decline in the turnover of furniture, electrical goods and books. The national network of retail stores as well as that of mail order and internet sale service providers recorded turnover of 716bn HUF in September 2012 and 5 983bn HUF in the January-September 2012 period.

Sales volume at stores of food, beverages and tobacco products, which constitute the 43.1 percent of total volume, decreased by 3.7 percent in annual comparison, while regarding the initial nine months of the year the volume of sales was on par with last year’s.

Turnover at stores of non-food products declined by 3.3 percent in September resulting in aggregate contraction of 2.3 percent for the initial nine months of the year. Mail order and internet sale service providers continued to generate dynamically increasing sales, in September the turnover of this sub sector expanded by 22.6 percent compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, but sales have also improved in stores of cosmetics articles (7.1 percent). After declining in the past four months, sales volume of second hand goods has picked up again. Sales of pharmaceutical and medical goods have also increased (2.9 percent) after a decline in August, similarly to sales at non-specialized stores which also increased in annual comparison.

Turnover at filling stations has still been below the figure registered in the same period of the previous year. In September sales were down by 3.1 percent, while regarding the initial nine months of the year they contracted by 3 percent.

(Ministry for National Economy)