In full consumption boom, retail is blooming in Romania

Aurel Dragan 05/04/2018 | 13:05

Retail turnover in the entire economy increased by 8.3 percent in the first two months of the year compared to the same period of 2017, driven by sales of non-food products, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INS).

In the first two months, the growth rate recorded as gross series, sales of non-food products increased by 11.1 percent, food, beverages and tobacco sales by 8.2 percent, and automotive fuel in specialized stores by 3.7 percent.

Also, the retail turnover (excluding the trade with motor vehicles and motorcycles), as series adjusted by number of working days and seasonality, grew by 8.7 percent due to the results recorded in sales of non-food products (+ 11.9 percent), sales of food, beverages and tobacco (+ 8.4 percent) and the retail trade of automotive fuel in specialized stores (+ 3.9 percent).

INS data shows that in February 2018 versus February 2017, retail business recorded a 5 percent increase as a result of higher sales of food, beverages and tobacco (+ 8 percent) and sales of non-food products (+ 5 percent). On the other hand, the retail trade of automotive fuel in specialized stores fell by 0.5 percent.

At the same time, the retail turnover as adjusted series increased by 6.6 percent and sales of food, beverages and tobacco increased by 8 percent, sales of non-food products by 7.5 percent and those in the retail trade of automotive fuel in specialized stores by 0.8 percent.

Compared to January 2018, in February retail turnover (excluding trade in motor vehicles and motorcycles) decreased both as gross series and as adjusted series by 3.4 percent and 2.3 percent.