Press release 28/01/2021

LARGE STORES AND FOOD CHAINS TRADE INDEX OF THE BASQUE COUNTRY. DECEMBER 2020

Sales in large stores and food chains in the Basque Country grew by 2.0% in 2020

Sales of food products in 2020 were up 7.9% on 2019 and sales of other products were down 9.5%

In the accumulated total for 2020, sales in large stores and food chains in the Basque Country were up 2.0% compared to 2019, in homogeneous terms of the working calendar and at constant prices, according to Eustat data. In the aforementioned period, marked by the restrictions adopted to combat the crisis caused by COVID-19, food sales accumulated a positive variation of 7.9%, whereas sales of other products dropped by 9.5%.

By provinces, Álava saw the greatest increase in sales at constant prices in 2020, with a rise of 3.3% in respect of 2019. It was followed by Gipuzkoa, with accumulated sales in 2020 up 2.0% on 2019, and Bizkaia, where annual growth stood at 1.6%.

The number of individuals employed in large stores and food chains in the Basque Country rose by 0.2% in 2020 compared to the previous year.

Analysing data exclusively from December 2020 sales in large stores and food chains in the Basque Country experienced a year-on-year upturn at constant prices of 6.2% in homogenous terms of the working calendar. Compared to November 2020, and in deseasonalised terms, sales were up 4.8%.

Sales of food products in large stores and food chains were up 8.7% in December 2020 in relation to December 2019, whereas sales corresponding to other items rose by 1.3%.

In December 2020 all three provinces saw sales in large stores and food chains increase in year-on-year terms: in Gipuzkoa by 6.8%; in Álava by 6.4%; and in Bizkaia by 5.7%.

NOTE:

Included as persons employed considered in this and other short-term indices, are those covered by an ERTE (Temporary Labour Force Adjustment Plan), following the definition of persons employed indicated by the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat) in its manual Methodology of Short Term Business Statistics.

The models used in the correction of calendar effects and deseasonalisation of the series include the effect of COVID-19 on the variables studied, following the recommendations of the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat) (Eurostat) in its methodological note Guidance on Time Series Treatment in the context of the COVID-19 crisis.

Eustat would like to thank all the establishments that have collaborated in making this effort despite the current circumstances. As a result, the December index was calculated with 92.5% coverage of the sample - whose information was collected during January.

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