Press release 29/05/2019

LARGE STORES AND FOOD CHAINS TRADE INDEX OF THE BASQUE COUNTRY. APRIL 2019

Sales in large stores and food chains in the Basque Country rose by 3.9% in April 2019

The balance for the first quarter of 2019 closed with 2.1% growth

Sales at large stores and food chains in the Basque Country in April 2019 experienced a year-on-year upturn at constant prices of 3.9% in homogenous terms of the working calendar, according to Eustat data. Compared to March 2019, sales were up 0.6% in deseasonalised terms.

In April 2019, sales of food products at large stores and food chains reflected a rise of 5.4%, and sales corresponding to other items registered an increase of 0.8%, with respect to the same month of the previous year.

There were rises in all three provinces in the year-on-year period: Gipuzkoa saw an increase of 5.4%, in Bizkaia sales were up 3.3%, and in Álava there was a rise of 3.0%.

Compared to the previous month, March 2019, food sales increased by 1.5% whereas sales of other items decreased by 1.3%, at constant prices and in deseasonalised terms.

By province, in Gipuzkoa the index rose by 2.2% and in Álava it was up 0.7%, but in Bizkaia it fell by 0.4%, all with regards to the previous month, March 2019, at constant prices and in deseasonalised terms.

The number of people employed in large stores and food chains in the Basque Country rose by 3.6% compared to the same month of the previous year. It was also up 0.6% on the previous month.

Balance of the first quarter of 2019

In the first quarter of the year, accumulated sales at large stores and food chains in the Basque Country registered an increase of 2.1% compared to the same period of the previous year. As for food products at large stores and food chains, accumulated sales rose by 1.8%, whilst sales of other products were up 2.7%.

By province, sales increased by 2.6% in Bizkaia, 1.8% in Gipuzkoa and 0.9% in Álava.

For its part, the number of people employed was up 3.1% in the first quarter of 2019.

For further information:

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