BRATISLAVA, August 3, (WEBNOVINY) — Retail sales in Slovakia fell again in June. After a return to a moderate 0.6-percent annualized growth in the May, they dropped in June by 0.9 percent. In absolute terms, retail sales in June of this year totaled EUR 1.508 billion and in a monthly comparison according to seasonally adjusted data they decreased by 0.3 percent. For the entire first half of 2012, retail sales still recorded a modest annual growth of 0.3 percent to EUR 8.566 billion, the Statistics Office of the Slovak Republic reports on Friday.
Development of retail sales in June was influenced mainly by lower sales in retail trade with so-called other household equipment in specialized outlets by 5.6 percent, retail trade of other goods in specialized stores by 4.3 percent. Retail sales increased only in the retail of motor fuels by 4.7 percent and in retail trade in specialized stores by 2.1 percent.
Sales in wholesale in June increased by 2.5 percent and reached EUR 1.999 billion. The highest growth was in wholesale of agricultural produce and live animals by 38.3 percent and in wholesale of ICT by 19.6 percent. For the first half of 2012, wholesale trade grew year-on-year by 5.2 percent to EUR 11.765 billion.
Retail sales in Slovakia have been declining for three years. The sector suffered the impact of the economic crisis as well as shopping tourism, resulting in 2009 in a year-on-year drop in retail sales by over 10 percent. Retail sales fell again in the following two years, in 2011 by 2.8 percent. Continued weak consumer demand, however, still does not give any significant opportunities for a resumption of stronger growth in retail sales yet.
SITA
