BRATISLAVA, July 4, (WEBNOVINY) — After a one-month decline, retail sales in Slovakia in May again returned to modest growth, helped in particular by sales of motor fuels. In April, retail sales fell 1.9 percent year-on-year. In May, they grew 0.6 percent to EUR 1.478 billion. For the first five months of this year, sales in retail trade reached EUR 7.058 billion and maintain annual growth rate of 0.5 percent. In monthly terms, retail sales in May compared to April increased by 0.6 percent.
Year-on-year development of retail sales were influenced by higher sales in retail trade of motor fuels in specialized outlets by 6.2 percent, and by retail trade in specialized outlets by 2.2 percent. Retail sales of other goods in specialized stores remained unchanged. In other activities, retail sales dropped.
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.
SITA
