According to revised data, retail sales rose 6.2 percent year-on-year in April, up from 5.7 percent a month earlier. Higher sales of clothing and footwear, in particular, contributed to the rise in sales, but stores selling all types of goods improved compared to April last year. Retail sales increased by 0.1 percent month over month.
“Retail sales increased year-on-year in April in all assortment groups of stores. Sales grew more significantly in stores with non-food goods, closed last year due to the coronavirus pandemic,” said Jana Gotvaldová, head of the CSO’s statistics department for trade, transport, and services.
She added that sales to shops selling clothing and footwear and products for culture, sport, and recreation increased the most but did not reach the level of 2019.
Clothing and footwear stores earned 121.3 percent more than the previous year, while sports equipment stores earned 17 percent more. Housewares, computers, and beauty and toiletry stores were up about 15 percent, while health stores had sales up eight percent from last April.
Decline in e-shops
In addition, e-shops again fell in sales year-on-year by 14.2 percent. This was due to the high comparison base from last year, when anti-epidemic measures curbed sales in brick-and-mortar stores, prompting customers to shop more online.
“However, when compared to the situation before the pandemic, in 2019, online shops saw a significant increase in sales,” said Marie Boušková, director of the CSO’s Department of Statistics on Trade, Transport, Services, Tourism, and the Environment.
Vehicle sales and repairs fell 6.3 percent year on year and 0.3 percent month on month. People spent less on car purchases, including spare parts and repairs.