Press Release 26/04/2018

LARGE STORES AND FOOD CHAINS TRADE INDEX (IGSC). MARCH 2018

Sales in large stores and food chains in the Basque Country rose by 3.6% in March 2018

The accumulated rate for the first quarter of the year closed with 2.4% growth

Sales at large stores and food chains in the Basque Country in March 2018 experienced a year-on-year upturn at constant prices of 3.6% in homogenous terms of the working calendar, according to Eustat data. Compared to February, sales were up 0.5% in deseasonalised terms.

Sales of food products were up 4.6%, and sales corresponding to other items experienced a rise of 1.3%, with respect to the same month of the previous year.

There were rises in all three provinces: Bizkaia saw an increase of 3.9%, in Álava there was a rise of 3.7% and in Gipuzkoa sales were up by 3.0%, in all cases over the year-on-year period.

Compared to the previous month, February 2018, food sales have increased by 0.8% and there was no variation in other items (0.0%) at constant prices and in deseasonalised terms.

The number of individuals employed in large stores and food chains in the Basque Country rose by 3.0% compared to the same month of the previous year. It was also up 0.2% on the previous month, in deseasonalised terms.

For further information:

Eustat - Euskal Estatistika Erakundea / Basque Statistics Institute C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz Press Service: servicioprensa@eustat.eus Tel: 945 01 75 62