Press Release 29/11/2021

LARGE STORES AND FOOD CHAINS TRADE INDEX. OCTOBER 2021

Sales in large stores and food chains in the Basque Country were down 2.0% in October 2021

In relation to the previous month, however, sales were up 0.6% with the annual cumulative total standing at 0.5%

Sales at large stores and food chains in the Basque Country October 2021, in respect of the same month of the previous year, registered a decrease of 2.0% at constant prices, according to Eustat data. In contrast, in respect of the previous month, there was month-on-month growth of 0.6%.

In the year-to-date, the cumulative evolution over the first ten months of 2021 was positive, with an increase in sales of 0.5% in relation to the same period of the previous year.

In year-on-year terms, the drop in sales in large stores and food chains was due to the decrease observed in food products (3.1%), given that in other products there was a positive variation of 0.3%.

By province, the year-on-year evolution of sales was not uniform. In Gipuzkoa and Álava sales were down 5.0% and 2.8%, respectively, whereas in Bizkaia sales remained at the same level as in October 2020 (0.0% variation).

In relation to September 2021, in October sales of both types of products in large stores and food chains continued to rise. Thus, sales of food products rose by 0.3% and sales of other products were up 1.2%.

The month-on-month evolution was positive in the three provinces. In Álava, the month-on-month increase stood at 1.2 %, in Gipuzkoa it was 0.8% and, lastly, in Bizkaia it was 0.4%.

In the cumulative total for January to October 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 evolution in sales of other products was positive, up 9.5% on the same cumulative period of 2020.

By province, the cumulative variation for the year to date was positive in the case of Bizkaia (2.4%) and Álava (1.5%), whereas in Gipuzkoa cumulative sales in the ten months of 2021 were 3.3% down on those observed in the same period of 2020.

The index of people employed in large stores and food chains in the Basque Country during October 2021 remained stable in relation to the previous month (0.0% variation). Compared to the same month of the previous year, however, the index of employed people rose by 4.2%. In the cumulative total for the first ten months of 2021, the increase stood at 3.9%.

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 October 2021 was calculated with 97.5% 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