With this data, the nominal accumulated growth for 2004 came to 5.3%.

The retail trade sector of the A.C. of the Basque Country increased sales in the fourth quarter of 2004 by 6.8% in nominal terms, compared to the same period of the previous year, according to Eustat data. This nominal growth translated into a similarly positive inter-annual evolution of 5.4% in real terms.

Accumulated growth of retail sales in 2004 came to 5.3% in nominal terms and stood at 4.2%, once the impact of price rises was deducted.

Traditional (specialised) retail trade increased nominal sales by 8.6% during the fourth quarter of 2004, in relation to the same period of 2003. This nominal increase, once the effect of price rises was discounted, became an 8.0% rise in real terms.

Retail trade in medium and large stores (non-specialised) grew by 3.4% in the fourth quarter of last year in nominal terms. Once the effect of price rises was discounted, the variation in the inter-annual rate was 0.2% in relation to the same quarter of 2003.

For 2004 as a whole, traditional retail trade (specialised) increased nominal sales by 5.9% in relation to 2003. This nominal rise translates into a percentage rise of 5.9% in real terms, once the inflationary effect of prices has been deducted.

Retail trade in medium and large stores (non-specialised) over 2004 experienced positive evolution in nominal sales of 4.4%. Once the effect of price rises was discounted, there was a 1.0% variation in the annual rate, measured in constant terms.

By province, the highest rise in nominal sales for the retail sector in the fourth quarter of 2004 took place in Bizkaia, with an inter-annual rise of 9.3%, due to greater growth in specialised retail trade (12.9%); followed by Alava with a positive variation on the general retail index of 6.1%, while Gipuzkoa obtained more modest growth of 2.9%. In real terms, the increases were 7.8% in Bizkaia, 4.2% in Alava and 2.0% in Gipuzkoa.

As for the personnel employed in the retail trade sector in the fourth quarter of 2004, there was a 2.9% increase in relation to the previous quarter for the A.C. of the Basque Country as a whole. Growth in employment during the period starting December 2003 came to 2.0% and when broken down by province, results were as follows: Bizkaia (3.2%), Alava (2.1%) and Gipuzkoa (0.0%).