Retail trade - March 2024

In March 2024, the seasonally adjusted index exhibited stability in month-on-month value terms, maintaining parity, while volume experienced a slight contraction of 0.1%.

In the first quarter of 2024 value of sales showed no growth, while volume of sales fell by 0.4% when compared with the previous quarter.

March 2024 witnessed a continuation of the upward trajectory in the year-on-year series for the value of retail trade, registering a 2.0% increase, thereby sustaining a positive trend started since March 2021. Likewise, sales volume demonstrated consecutive growth for the second month, expanding by 0.3%.

Comparing March 2024 to the same month of the previous year, large-scale distribution experienced a growth of 6.1%, whereas other distribution channels saw declines; small-scale distribution decreased by 1.5% and non-store retail sales dropped by 2.6%.

After a consecutive five-month upward trend, online sales exhibited a contraction of 2.4% when compared with March 2023.

Analyzing the value of non-food product sales on a year-on-year basis, data presented a varied landscape across different categories. Cosmetic and toilet articles witnessed the strongest growth at +4.3%, while Tools experienced the largest decline at -7.5%.