Retail businesses in Romania drops by 8.3% in June

Turnover in retail, except trade of motor vehicles and motorcycles, fell in June by 8.3 percent over the same month in 2010, due mainly to lower sales of food, beverages and tobacco, according to the Romanian National Statistics Institute. In gross numbers, the turnover volume in retail trade, except trade of motor vehicles and motorcycles, was with 9.4 percent lower than in June 2010. Sales of food, beverages and tobacco fell by 10 percent in June, compared to the same month last year, while sales of manufactured goods fell by 8.8 percent. Retail trade of automotive fuel in specialized stores fell by 5 percent. In the first half of 2011, the turnover for retail trade, adjusted series based on the number of working days and seasonality, decreased by 6.2 percent, due to reduced sales of food, beverages and tobacco (-9.6 percent), retail trade of automotive fuel in specialized stores (-5.1 percent), and sales of food products (-3.4 percent). In gross numbers, the decline was 5.8 percent. Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com (photo source: Sxc.hu)