Retail trade in medium and large stores (non-specialised) grew
in the first quarter of the year by 3.8%, in nominal terms. Once the effect
of the rise in prices is discounted, the variation in the inter-annual rate
came to 0.4%, with regard to the same quarter the year before.
Traditional retail trade (specialised) increased nominal sales by 0.5% in the first quarter of 2002, with regard to the same period in 2001. This nominal increase, once the effect of the rise in prices is discounted, becomes –1.4% in real terms.
Personnel employed in the retail trade sector increased by 1.5% in the first quarter of 2002 with regard to the same quarter the year before. The highest increase in employment occurred in non-specialised retail trade (3.3%), compared with specialised or traditional trade (1.0%).
By Provinces, the highest growth in nominal sales in the retail
sector was registered in Gipuzkoa, with a 2.4% inter-annual increase due to
the strong increase in non-specialised retail trade (6.4%). Bizkaia registered
a positive variation of 1.3% in the general index and was well ahead of Alava,
which registered more moderate growth with 0.2%.
In real terms, the only province where sales increased was Gipuzkoa (0.2%). In Bizkaia (-1.1%) and Alava (-2.3%) there were negative variations in real sales in both provinces.
With regard to personnel employed in the retail trade sector in the first quarter of 2002, there was an inter-annual increase (with regard to the same quarter of the year before) in Alava (3.8%) and Gipuzkoa (3.2%), while in Bizkaia there was a slight 0.2% decrease.