Press Release 03/09/2021

LARGE STORES AND FOOD CHAINS TRADE INDEX. JULY 2021

Sales in large stores and food chains in the Basque Country fell by 0.1% in July 2021

However, in comparison to June 2021 sales were up 0.9%

Sales at large stores and food chains in the Basque Country in July 2021 registered a slight year-on-year decrease at constant prices of 0.1%, according to Eustat data. However, compared to the previous month sales increased by 0.9%. With these figures, the cumulative increase for the first seven months of 2021 stood at 2.0%.

In relation to July 2020, sales of food products in large stores and food chains were up 1.2% in July 2021, whereas sales of other products fell by 2.3%.

By province, sales in year-on-year terms rose by 1.5% in Bizkaia, whereas in the other provinces sales decreased; by 2.1% in Gipuzkoa and 1.4% in Álava.

Compared to the previous month, sales of food products at large stores and food chains in July 2021 were up 2.2%; however, sales of other products were down 1.7%.

By province, in Gipuzkoa the month-on-month performance was positive (2.5%), as was also the case in Bizkaia (0.2%), whereas in Álava there was a downturn of 0.3%.

In the cumulative total for January to July 2021, the sales index in large stores and food chains continued an upward trend, with a 2.0% increase compared to the same cumulative period of the previous year. This trend was due to the growth in sales of other products, which were up 15.0% compared to those in the same cumulative period of 2020, given that in the case of food, cumulative sales until July were down 3.1%.

By province, the cumulative variation for the year to date was positive in the case of Álava (4.0%) and Bizkaia (3.8%), whereas in Gipuzkoa it was negative (-1.9%).

Lastly, the number of people employed in large stores and food chains in the Basque Country rose by 7.9% in July 2021 compared to the same month of the previous year and by 1.3% in relation to June 2021. In the cumulative total for the first seven months of 2021, the increase stood at 3.4%.

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 July index was calculated with 90.0% coverage of the sample - whose information was collected during August.

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