Press Release 08/11/2018

RETAIL TRADE INDEX (ICIm). III/2018

Sales in the retail trade sector of the Basque Country dropped by 0.9% in the third quarter of 2018

Sales of fuels increased by 4.0% and those of food by 1.0%, whilst sales of other products decreased by 3.2%

The retail trade sector of the Basque Country registered a 0.9% rise in nominal sales in the third quarter of 2018 with regards to the same period of the previous year, once the price effect had been discounted, according to data provided by Eustat. Sales in the sector, not including service stations, were down by 1.4% in year-on-year terms.

With respect to the previous quarter, the sales index was up 0.2% once prices had been discounted and any seasonal effects eliminated.

By sector, food products registered a rise of 1.0% in sales in the third quarter of 2018, but retail trade of other products was down 3.2%; sales of automotive fuel were up 4.0%, all with regards to the third quarter of 2017 and at constant prices.

In the retail food sector, specialised trade was down by 0.5%, as non-specialised trade in mainly food products rose by 1.7%.

There were decreases in all sectors of retail trade for other products. Non-specialised retail trade mainly in other products was down by 6.3%, specialised trade of other consumer goods experienced a decrease of 4.5 %, specialised trade in personal equipment dropped by 3.1% and the sector specialising in household equipment fell by 0.5%, all at constant prices.

By province, Gipuzkoa registered an increase in year-on-year sales, where they were up 0.4%, but in Álava and Bizkaia they were down 0.9% and 1.9%, respectively, compared to the third quarter of 2017.

The number of people employed in the retail trade sector in the Basque Country overall in the third quarter of 2018 was down 0.3% with respect to the same quarter of the previous year and was also down 0.3% on the second quarter of 2018.

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