Retail sales record significant slowdown in Romania in March

Romania’s retail trade turnover increased by 3.4%, as a gross series, in March 2018 versus the same month of 2017, according to data released by the National Statistics Institute (INS) on Friday, May 4. In seasonally adjusted terms, the growth was 5.2%. The growth rate slowed down significantly compared to last year. For example, in September 2017, the retail sales recorded a 13.7% increase versus the same month of 2016. Food sales increased by 11.9% year-on-year in March while the sales of non-food products only went up by 1.7% and fuel sales declined by 7.1%. In the first quarter of this year, the retail trade turnover increased by 6.4% versus Q1 2017, with food sales up 9.5% and non-food sales up 7.3%. Fuel sales were 0.5% lower year-on-year in the first quarter. editor@romania-insider.com