Slovenia’s retail trade weakens in February

Slovenia’s retail trade weakens in February
Volume indices of retail trade turnover, Slovenia (Ø 2015=100) / Slovenian Statistical Office
By bne IntelliNews April 2, 2018

Slovenia's retail trade turnover decreased 1.6% y/y and 0.4% m/m in February, the Slovenian Statistical Office announced on March 30.

After in 2017 retail trade recorded growth of 8.2%, it will likely maintain the upward trend first reached in 2015 mainly thanks to improved employment and higher salaries. Wages are set for a further boost this year as Prime Minister Miro Cerar's outgoing government has announced plans for a hike in the minimum wage ahead of the general election. 

The latest statistical office data indicated that in February the decrease was mainly influenced by the 5.5% lower volume turnover in specialised stores with motor fuels, while in retail trade excluding motor fuel it remained unchanged. The volume of sales of food decreased by 4.1%, while the volume of sales of non-food products increased by 3.1%.

The weakening in monthly terms was influenced by lower volume turnover in specialised stores with motor fuels (by 3.2%), as the turnover without retail trade of motor fuel went up by 0.4% over the previous month. Compared to January, turnover in retail trade with food increased by 1.1%, while turnover in retail trade with non-food slightly decreased by 0.9%.

According to the latest statistical office data, in the first two months of this year, volume turnover in retail trade decreased by 0.8% y/y. Compared to the same period of the previous year it went down by 4.3% in specialised stores with motor fuels and by 5.8% in retail trade with food, while in retail trade with non-food it went up by 5.8%.

Data

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