Press Release 28/07/2021

LARGE STORES AND FOOD CHAINS TRADE INDEX OF THE BASQUE COUNTRY. JUNE 2021

Sales in large stores and food chains in the Basque Country were down 5.8% in June

In the accumulated total for the first six months of 2021, sales increased by 2.4%

Sales at large stores and food chains in the Basque Country in June 2021 registered a year-on-year decrease at constant prices of 5.8%, according to Eustat data. In contrast, compared to the previous month, May 2021, sales were up 0.4%.

In relation to June 2020, sales of food products in large stores and food chains experienced a 6.3% downturn in June 2021. Sales of other products also saw a drop of 4.9%.

By province, Gipuzkoa registered the largest year-on-year decrease with 8.8%, followed by Álava with 5.5% and, lastly, Bizkaia with 4.1%.

Compared to the previous month, sales of food products at large stores and food chains in June 2021 were down 0.3%; however, sales of other products increased by 1.8%. By province, Bizkaia saw a rise of 1.7%, while in Gipuzkoa and Álava there were drops of 1.4% and 0.4%, respectively.

In the accumulated period of January to June 2021, the sales index in large stores and food chains followed an upward trend, with a 2.4% increase compared to the same accumulated period of the previous year. This tendency was due to the evolution in sales of other products, which were up 19.1% compared to the same accumulated period of 2020, given that in the case of food, overall sales fell by 3.7% in the run-up to June.

By province, the overall variation in the year so far was positive in the case of Álava (5.0%) and in Bizkaia (4.2%), while in Gipuzkoa it was negative, with a decrease of 1.9%.

Lastly, the number of people employed in large stores and food chains in the Basque Country rose by 6.5% in June 2021 compared to the same month of the previous year. It was also up 0.9% in relation to May 2021. In the accumulated total for the first six months of 2021, an increase of 2.6% was also observed.

NOTE:

Year-on-year variations are calculated using the series corrected for calendar effects and the month-on-month variations are calculated using the deseasonalised series.

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) 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 preparing the Large Stores and Food Chains Trade Index. As a result, the June index was calculated with 90.0% coverage of the sample - whose information was collected during July.

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