Alava grew 6.0%, while Bizkaia, achieving an average rate of 4.4%, and Gipuzkoa (3.7 %) performed more moderately.

The retail trade sector of the A.C. of the Basque Country increased sales in the third quarter of 2003 by 4.4% in nominal terms, in relation to the same period of last year, according to Eustat data. This nominal growth becomes a similarly positive evolution of 2.7% in real terms.

Traditional (specialised) retail trade increased nominal sales by 3.6% in the third quarter of 2003, in relation with the same period of 2002. This nominal growth was 2.9% in real terms, once the effect of price rises is discounted.

Retail trade in medium and large stores (non-specialised) grew 5.7% in the third quarter of the year in nominal terms. Once the effect of price rises is discounted, the variation in the inter-annual rate came to 2.2%, in relation to the same quarter of last year.

By provinces, the greatest growth in nominal sales for the retail sector in the third quarter of the year was in Alava, with an inter-annual rise of 6.0%, due to growth in specialist retail trade (6.6%); next comes Bizkaia with a positive variation of 4.4% on the general index, while Gipuzkoa obtained more moderate results of 3.7%. In real terms, growth was 4.0% in Alava, 2.8% in Bizkaia and 1.9% in Gipuzkoa.

As regards personnel working in the retail trade sector in the third quarter of 2003, there was inter-annual growth (in relation to the same quarter of last year) for the whole of the A.C. of the Basque Country of 1.8%. Growth in employment since last December was 1.5% and its provincial breakdown was as follows: Gipuzkoa (2.2%), Alava (1.4%) and Bizkaia (1.1%).