Press Release 05/11/2021

RETAIL TRADE INDEX (ICIm). III/2021

Retail sector sales in the Basque Country fell by 2.0% in the third quarter of 2021

The cumulative total for the first nine months of the year, however, closed with 3.8% growth

Sales in the retail sector in the Basque Country were down 2.0% in the third quarter of 2021 compared to the same quarter of the previous year, once corrected for calendar effects and at constant prices, according to data prepared by Eustat. Sales in the sector, excluding service stations, also decreased by 2.1% in relation to the third quarter of 2020. However, the cumulative total for the first nine months of the year obtained 3.8% growth.

In respect of the previous quarter, and once any seasonal effects had been eliminated, the sales index for the third quarter of 2021 fell by 0.5% at constant prices.

By sectors, in relation to the third quarter of 2020 and once the price and calendar effects had been discounted, Food sales were down 2.8% and sales of Other Products also fell by 1.6%. As regards sales of Automotive Fuels, the evolution was positive, increasing by 0.1% in year-on-year terms.

Compared to the second quarter of 2021, in deseasonalised terms and at constant prices, sales of Food and Automotive Fuels increased by 1.1% and 0.5%, respectively, while sales of Other Products showed a negative evolution of 0.1%.

Within the Food retail trade, sales in both Specialised trade in food, beverages and tobacco (establishments such as greengrocers, butchers, fishmongers, etc.) and Non-specialised retail trade with food, beverages or tobacco predominating (basically supermarkets and hypermarkets) decreased by 0.2% and 4.0%, respectively.

In the retail trade of Other Products, the evolution of sales in the third quarter of 2021 in relation to the same quarter of the previous year, was negative for sales in Specialised trade in other consumer goods (books, stationary items, toys and sports items, for example) and Non-specialised trade with other products predominating, with decreases of 10.3% and 13.6%, respectively. Specialised trade in personal goods also had a negative evolution, of 0.8% Sales in Specialised trade in Household goods which includes, among others, domestic appliances, furniture and telecommunications equipment, posted a rise of 6.0% in relation to the same quarter of the previous year.

The sales index for the third quarter of 2021 registered a year-on-year downturn in every province: 4.1% in Álava, 1.9% in Bizkaia and 1.1% in Gipuzkoa.

The number of people employed in the retail trade sector in the Basque Country as a whole in the third quarter of 2021 rose by 4.1% in relation to the third quarter of the previous year. Compared to the second quarter of 2021, there was also an increase, of 1.3%.

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) 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 with gathering information. As a result, the index for the third quarter was calculated with 96.8% coverage of the sample.

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