Retail trade - February 2024

In February 2024, the seasonally adjusted index experienced a 0.1% month-on-month increase, reflecting the same gains in both value and volume.

In the three months to February 2024 value of sales grew by 0.1% , while volume of sales decreased by 0.3% when compared with the previous three-month period.

In February 2024, the value of retail trade continued its upward trajectory in the year-on-year series, marking a 2.4% increase and sustaining a positive trend since February 2021. The volume of sales also returns to growth after 18 months of negative results, rising by 0.3%.

In February 2024, when compared with the same month a year earlier, large-scale distribution was up 4.0%, small-scale distribution grew by 1.0% and non-store retail sales dropped by 1.6%.

Online sales shows a reversal following 4 months of growth, declining by 0.5% when compared with February 2023.

Looking at the value of sales for non-food products, data outlined a mixed picture across different categories in the year on year series. The strongest growth was reported for Cosmetic and toilet articles (+7.7%), while the largest fall was reported for Computers and telecommunications equipment (-1.8%).