Czech retail sales growth slows to 2.8% in January

In January, retail sales in the Czech Republic slowed to a year-on-year growth of 2.8 percent, according to the Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ). This represents a significant deceleration from the revised growth rate of 6.4 percent recorded in December, with the slowdown occurring after adjusting for the effects of pricing. The ČSÚ highlighted that online sales and fuel sales were the primary drivers behind the growth observed during the month, while overall retail sales declined by 0.5 percent compared to December.

Jana Gotvaldová, head of the statistics department at the ČSÚ, noted that when price effects were taken into account, sales of food, fuel, and non-food goods still experienced a year-on-year increase. However, there was a notable decline in sales of computer and communication equipment and household products. The overall growth rate of retail sales in January was lower than what had been observed during the previous seven months.

Breaking down the figures further, fuel sales saw a year-on-year increase of 5.4 percent, non-food goods grew by 3.1 percent, and food sales rose by 1.5 percent. Internet and mail-order stores recorded a six percent increase, while revenue in specialized stores selling cosmetics and toilet products, as well as pharmaceutical and medical goods, increased by 6.8 percent and 6.7 percent respectively. Additionally, sales in clothing and footwear stores grew by 4.5 percent, and those in culture, sport, and recreation outlets increased by 1.2 percent. In contrast, sales in stores offering computer and communication equipment fell by 7.6 percent, and household products declined by 2 percent. Specialized food stores experienced a 1.7 percent increase in sales, with non-specialized food stores posting a growth of 1.5 percent. Overall, revenue in non-specialized stores primarily dealing in non-food items grew by 2.9 percent year-on-year.

Month-on-month comparisons showed that, aside from motor vehicles, retail sales declined by 0.5 percent in January, with non-food goods falling by 1.4 percent, while food and fuel sales increased modestly by 0.4 percent and 0.2 percent respectively.

Sales and repairs of motor vehicles, however, exhibited a slight increase. Year-on-year, these combined sales rose by 0.7 percent, with repairs of motor vehicles growing by 2.8 percent and sales of motor vehicles, including spare parts, increasing by 0.1 percent. On a month-on-month basis, the sales and repairs segment registered a 1.2 percent increase.

Source: CTK