Bulgaria’s retail trade increased 9.2% year-on-year in February 2014 – Eurostat
The total volume of retail trade in Bulgaria in February 2014 was 9.2 per cent higher than in February 2013, according to seasonally-adjusted figures released by European Union statistics office Eurostat on April 3 2014.
Year-on-year in February 2014, Bulgaria was among the four EU states with the highest increases in total retail trade, placing second behind Luxembourg, which recorded an increase of 12.8 per cent over February 2013.
The other two countries in the top four were Romania, 8.7 per cent, and Hungary, 6.7 per cent.
Four of the 28 EU countries reported decreases: Malta (-1.4 per cent), Slovenia and Finland (both -1 per cent) and Spain (-0.4 per cent).
Eurostat said that in February 2014 compared with January 2014, the seasonally adjusted volume of retail trade rose by 0.4 per cent in the 18-member euro zone and by 0.5 per cent in the EU28
In February 2014 compared with February 2013 the retail sales index increased by 0.8 per cent in the euro area and by 1.5 per cent in the EU28.
Eurostat said that the 0.8 per cent increase in the volume of retail trade in the euro area in February 2014, compared with February 2013, was due to rises of two per cent for the non-food sector and of 0.8 per cent for automotive fuel, while “Food, drinks and tobacco” fell by 0.4 per cent.
In the EU28, the 1.5 per cent increase in retail trade was due to rises of 2.9 per cent for the non-food sector, of 0.8 per cent for automotive fuel and of 0.3 per cent for “Food, drinks and tobacco”.
Month-on-month comparisons showed that in Bulgaria, the volume of retail trade in February 2014 was one per cent higher than in January, the previous month was 2.1 per cent higher than in December, which in turn was 0.3 per cent higher than in November.
(Photo: Vera Reis/sxc.hu)
