In March retail turnover declined by 6%, which was the highest drop since February 2021

The decline in retail turnover accelerated in March, almost all significant components of retail trade were in negative numbers. Two out of its nine components recorded a double-digit decline. The worse result of the entire industry was prevented only by a year-on-year higher turnover of gas stations and stores with computer technology.

In March 2023, retail turnover¹⁾ at constant prices decreased by 6% year-on-year. It was the highest drop since February 2021. There was a year-on-year turnover drop in as many as seven out of the nine monitored components of retail trade. The March´s result was most significantly affected by the turnover drop in hyper and supermarkets (non-specialized stores) by 5.8%, which are the most important component of retail sales with more than 40% of the sectoral total turnover.

The second most significant impact was a one-quarter turnover decrease in stores with other household goods, which include hobby markets, furniture and consumer electronics stores, as well as an almost 5% turnover decrease in specialized stores with other goods, e.g. with footwear, textiles or drugstores.

The overall decline in retail turnover was dampened by fuel stores. Their turnover rose by more than 30% year-on-year, but this result was significantly affected by the expansion of the number of reporting units from the beginning of 2023, which was caused by the reclassification of their main activity as retail trade.

Turnover growth was also maintained by specialized stores with computers and communication equipment. Compared to last year, their turnover was higher by almost two thirds.

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Year-on-year development of other components of retail trade in March 2023

In March 2023, the turnover in sale and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles¹⁾ increased year-on-year by almost a fifth. Their rapid growth was influenced by more than a quarter of the turnover growth in the sale of motor vehicles. Wholesale¹⁾, in which turnover at current prices rose continuously for two years until February 2023, recorded a decrease by 2.4% in March.

Last year's level of the corresponding month was exceeded by the turnover of food and beverage service activities¹⁾ by 7% and the turnover of accommodation¹⁾ by almost 30%.

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Month-on-month development in March 2023 compared with February 2023

Compared to the previous month, March´s turnover^1,2) increased the most in food and beverage service activities by 12.9%, less significantly in sale and repair of motor vehicles (by 2.9%). The month-on-month slight turnover decrease affected accommodation (by 1.5%), wholesale (by 0.3%) and retail trade (by 0.2%).

Summary development for the first quarter of 2023

In the first quarter of 2023, turnover was higher by almost a fifth in sale and repair of motor vehicles, in wholesale by 1.9%, in food and beverage service activities by almost 22% and by 57% in accommodation. Only retail turnover dropped by 3%.