Press release 07/02/2020

RETAIL TRADE INDEX (ICIm). IV/2019

Sales in the retail trade sector of the Basque Country were up 0.2% in the fourth quarter of 2019

In the 2019 balance, the retail trade sector experienced an increase of 0.9% on the previous year

The retail trade sector of the Basque Country registered a 0.2% rise in sales at constant prices in the fourth quarter of 2019 compared to the same period of the previous year, according to data provided by Eustat. Sales in the sector, not including service stations, were down by 0.4% in year-on-year terms.

With respect to the previous quarter, there was no change in the sales index (0.0%), once any seasonal effects had been eliminated.

By sector, food products registered a rise of 0.3% in sales in the fourth quarter of 2019, retail trade of other products was up 0.9% and sales of automotive fuel increased by 7.8%, all with regards to the same period in 2018 and once the price and calendar effects had been discounted.

In the retail food sector, specialised trade was down by 0.9%, while non-specialised trade in mainly food products was up by 0.9%.

In retail trade of other products, specialised trade in household goods was up 3.2%, while the other three sectors experienced a negative variation. Non-specialist trade in mainly other products decreased by 0.1%; specialised trade in other consumer goods dropped by 0.7%; and specialised trade in personal equipment was down 4.7%, all at constant prices and corrected for calendar effects.

The sales index registered an increase in year-on-year terms in the case of two of the provinces. In Álava, retail trade sales overall were up 3.5% in real terms, and in Gipuzkoa they increased by 2.2%. On the other hand, in Bizkaia there was a drop of 1.9%.

The number of people employed in the retail trade sector in the Basque Country overall in the fourth quarter of 2019 was down 0.9% on the fourth quarter of 2018. With respect to the third quarter of 2019, the decrease stood at 0.3%.

Annual balance 2019

There was an accumulated increase of 0.9% in retail trade sales for the year overall, in real terms, compared to the previous year. If service stations are excluded, sales for the rest of retail trade rose by 0.7%. By sectors, food products were up by 1.5%, whilst trade in other products did not undergo any change (0.0%), for the year as a whole.

By province, the best results at constant prices were registered in Álava, with an increase of 2.0% in the year overall, followed by Gipuzkoa, where there was a rise of 1.8%; Bizkaia, in contrast, recorded a decrease of 0.1%.

The rise in employment in the retail trade sector in 2019 compared to the average of the previous year was 0.1% in the Basque Country.

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