Press Release 28/09/2021

LARGE STORES AND FOOD CHAINS TRADE INDEX. AUGUST 2021

Sales at large stores and food chains in the Basque Country fell by 6.4% in August 2021

In the annual cumulative total up to August, sales were up 1.2%

Sales at large stores and food chains in the Basque Country in August 2021 registered a year-on-year decrease at constant prices of 6.4%, according to Eustat data. Compared to the previous month, sales were also down 3.1%. However, the trend in the cumulative total for the first eight months of the year was positive, standing at 1.2%.

In relation to August 2020, both sales of food products at large stores and food chains and sales of other products decreased by 6.5% and 6.3%, respectively.

By province, sales in year-on-year terms dropped in all three. Gipuzkoa was the worst affected province in this regard with a fall of 8.7%, followed by Álava with 6.7% and, lastly, Bizkaia with 4.9%.

Compared to the previous month, sales of both types of product at large stores and food chains saw a downturn in August 2021. Thus, sales of food products fell by 3.9% and sales of other products dropped by 1.4%.

By province, the month-on-month performance was negative in all three. Sales were down 4.4% in Gipuzkoa, 2.5% in Bizkaia and, lastly, 2.6% in Álava.

In the cumulative total for January to August 2021, the sales index of food products saw a decrease of 3.4% compared to the same cumulative period of the previous year. In contrast, the trend in sales of other products was positive, 12.4%, in relation to the same cumulative period of 2020.

By province, the cumulative variation for the year to date was positive in the case of Álava (2.8%) and Bizkaia (3.2%), whereas in Gipuzkoa it was negative (-2.7%).

Lastly, the number of people employed in large stores and food chains in the Basque Country rose by 5.8% in August 2021 compared to the same month of the previous year. In relation to July 2021, however, this number fell by 1.3%. In the cumulative total for the first eight months of 2021, the increase stood at 3.7%.

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 index for August 2021 was calculated with 100.0% coverage.

For further information:

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