Retail trade

In April 2021 estimates for seasonally adjusted index of retail trade decreased by 0.4% in value terms, likewise volume was down 0.5% in the month on month series. In April 2021 total retail sales levels for both value and volume were still lower than pre-pandemic levels of February 2020.

In the three months to April 2021 both value and volume of sales increased by 4.3% when compared with the previous three-month period.

Year on year, value of retail trade rose by 30.4% and volume sales grew by 31.5% comparing to April 2020 when the closure of non-essential retail stores was introduced across Italy during the first national lockdown.

In April 2021, all channels of distribution increased when compared with April 2020. Large-scale distribution was up 22.8%, small-scale distribution grew by 38.1% and non-store retail sales rose by 61.0%.

Online sales continued to grow in April 2021, rising by 35.2% when compared with the same period a year earlier.

Looking at the value of sales for non-food products, all sectors witnessed growth. The largest increase were reported for Furniture and textile items and household furnishings (+653.0%) and Shoes, leather goods and travel items (+431.3%). The smallest annual growth was reported for pharmaceutical products (+6.0%).