Specialized trade sales returned an inter-annual growth of 3.8% and non-specialized trade 6.8%

According to Eustat data the retail trade sector in the A.C. of the Basque Country increased in nominal sales by 4.8% during the second quarter of 2005 when compared with the same period of the previous year. This nominal growth, once adjusted for inflation, is equivalent to an inter-annual growth of 3.2% in real terms.

The traditional (specialized) retail trade sector increased in nominal sales by 3.8% in the second quarter of 2005 in comparison to the same period in 2004. This nominal growth, which includes the effects of price changes in the different subsectors, converts to an inter-annual growth rate of 3.2% in real terms.

Retail trade in medium-sized and large sales outlets (non-specialized) grew in the second quarter of this year by 6.8% in nominal terms. However, the estimated change in the real inter-annual rate was 3.2% relative to the same quarter in 2004.

The highest inter-annual growth in specialized trade corresponded to the Personal Equipment sector which registered a nominal growth of 9.4%, which is estimated to be 8.5% in real terms. Household equipment, on the other hand, returned negative growth of –0.5% at current Euros and its fall is estimated to be as low as -2,2% at constant Euros. Food products sales registered a discrete growth of 0.3% in nominal terms, suffering a fall of 3.6% in real terms. On the other hand, the sector including Other Consumer Goods (sports, toys, optical goods and bookshops, among others), returned nominal growth of 1.2%, but, due to the deflationary effect of its prices, this rate rises to 3.5% in real terms.

The Provincial breakdown reveals that the highest growth in nominal sales in retail trade in the second quarter of 2005 took place in Bizkaia, with an inter-annual increase of 6.5%, with specialized retail trade outlets increasing by sales by 5,8% and non-specialized outlets by 7.7%.

Alava increased by the smallest amount, 1.3%, with a fall of 0.3% in specialized retail trade outlet sales and a growth of 4.3% in the non-specialized sector.

Gipuzkoa fell between the other two provinces with retail trade outlet sales increase of 3.5%, this growth comprising of 2.1% for specialized retail trade outlet sales and 6.1% for sales in medium and large retail sales outlets, all figures in nominal inter-annual terms.

Employment growth in the trade sector based on the average of the second quarter of last year was 2% and the provincial breakdown is as follows: Bizkaia (3.4%), Gipuzkoa (0.6%) and Alava (0.1%). Furthermore, the number of personnel employed in this retail trade sector in the second quarter of 2005 was 0.2% higher than in the first quarter of 2005 in the A.C. of the Basque Country as a whole.