With these figures, accumulated nominal growth for 2007 stood at 4.2%

The retail trade sector of the A.C. of the Basque Country increased nominal sales by 4.6% in the fourth quarter of 2007 with regard to the same period of the previous year, according to Eustat data. This nominal increase, discounting the effect of price rises, also becomes a positive inter-annual evolution of 2.1% in real terms.

Real rates of inter-annual growth. A.C. of Euskadi

Source: EUSTAT

Specialised retail trade increased nominal sales by 4.5% in the fourth quarter of 2007, with regard to the same period in 2006. This nominal increase becomes a growth rate of 2.8% in real terms, as the result of the price evolution in its different sub-sectors.

Non-specialised retail trade grew by 4%9 in nominal terms during the fourth quarter of this year. Taking the evolutions of its prices into account, the estimated fluctuation of the real interannual rate was 0.4% with respect to the same quarter of 2006.

Specialised retail trade saw the highest inter-annual growth rate in the Personal Equipment Sector, which registered 9.7% nominal growth, which in real terms was also a rate of 9.7%. However, Other Consumer Goods performed more discretely, by 4.3% in current euros and 1.8% in constant euros. The sales of Food products increased by 2.3% in nominal terms, which was down by 2.6% in real terms. The sales of Household Equipment products dropped by 3.8% in nominal terms that becomes a 5.4% decrease in real terms. As far as non-specialised retail trade was concerned, the food sub-sectors increased their interannual sales by 5.0%, while the Other Products increased by 4.1%. In constant euros, they increased 0.3% and 1.2%, respectively.

By Provinces, the highest growth, in the fourth quarter of 2007, in retail sector nominal sales was in Bizkaia, with an 6.3% inter-annual increase, with specialised retail trade sales rising 7.2% and non-specialised retail trade sales by 4.6%.

Alava registered an intermediary provincial growth of 3.8%, with specialised retail sales up by 4.2% and non-specialised sales by 3.1%

Retail sales in Gipuzkoa performed more moderately, with a 2.1% increase. Specialised retail sales grew by 0.2% and non-specialised sales were up by 6.3%, in terms of nominal interannual fluctuation.

The number of people employed in the retail trade sector in the fourth quarter of 2007 was up by 1.7% on the previous quarter.

2007 ANNUAL BALANCE

Taking the year as a whole, retail sales registered accumulated nominal growth of 4.2%, which in real terms meant an increase of 2.5%.

By provinces, Bizkaia registered the largest increase for the year as a whole (5.1%), followed by Gipuzkoa with a rate of 3.2% and Álava with 2.6%, all in nominal rates. In real terms, growth in the three territories was 3.5% for Bizkaia, 1.6% for Gipuzkoa and 0.7% for Álava.

Accumulated growth in employment in the retail trade sector on the average for therevious year was 2007 and was reflected provincially as follows: 1.4% in Álava, 1.9% in Bizkaia and 1.3% in Gipuzkoa.