The volume of domestic retail sales in Hungary rose by 1.1% in February 2024, compared to the same month the previous year, new data from KSH – The Hungarian Central Statistics Office has found.
On a month-on-month basis, the volume of retail sales was up 0.6%, the data showed.
In specialised and non-specialised food retail outlets, the volume of sales rose by 2.7%. In non-specialised food and beverage shops, such as supermarkets and hypermarkets (which account for 76% of the overall food retail market), the volume of sales rose by 2.2%, while in specialised food, beverage and tobacco stores, volumes are up 1.3% on a year-on-year basis.
Non-Food Sales
In non-food, meanwhile, sales volumes decreased by 2.1%.
There was a 6.9% increase in sales volumes for pharmaceutical, medical goods, and cosmetics shops, and a 1.8% increase in non-specialised shops dealing in manufactured goods. However, sales volumes decreased by 2.8% in textiles, clothing, and footwear shops, by 4.3% in books, computer equipment, and other specialised stores, by 10% in furniture and electrical goods stores, and by 13% in second-hand goods shops.
Online and mail order retailing accounted for 7.9% of all retail sales in the month, with volumes falling by 1.0% compared to the same period last year.
Lastly, the volume of sales in fuel stations increased by 3.9%, and sales in motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts and accessories stores increased by 13%.
Overall Retail Sales
In February 2024, overall retail sales in Hungary totalled HUF 1,395 billion (€3.58 billion) at current prices, KSH's data showed.
Half (50%) of the total retail turnover came from specialised and non-specialised food shops, with 34% from non-food retail trade and 16% from automotive fuel stations.
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