Home > Statistics > Turnover of trade > 2017 > April > Retail trade sales grew by 0.6 per cent year-on-year in April

Published: 15 June 2017

Retail trade sales grew by 0.6 per cent year-on-year in April

According to Statistics Finland, retail trade sales grew by 0.6 per cent in April from April 2016. Among retail trade industries, daily consumer goods sales grew by 1.9 per cent, whereas sales in department stores contracted by the same amount. Sales in wholesale trade grew by 0.8 per cent in April from one year ago. Sales in motor vehicle trade contracted by 6.7 per cent during the same period. Sales in total trade fell by 0.5 per cent from April 2016.

Annual change in turnover in trade industries, % (TOL 2008)

Sales volume in total trade fell by 3.8 per cent year-on-year in April

Sales volume in retail trade was 0.8 per cent higher in April than in April 2016. Over the same period, the sales volume in wholesale trade went down by 5.0 per cent and in motor vehicle by 6.4 per cent from one year ago. The sales volume of total trade declined by 3.8 per cent from April 2016.

The volume index of sales is calculated by removing the effect of price changes from the value index series.

Sales in retail trade grew by 1.9 per cent in January to April

In the January to April period, sales increased by 1.9 per cent in retail trade and by 7.1 per cent in wholesale trade compared to January to April 2016. Sales in motor vehicle trade grew by 3.4 per cent over the same period. Sales in total trade increased by 4.9 per cent in January to April from January to April 2016.

The reported annual changes in trade sales and sales volumes are not seasonally or trading day adjusted, which means that the effects of public holidays are not considered. In April, the development of sales was partly due to Easter being in April this year, while last year it was in March. The fact that Easter occurs in different months is in particular visible in the sales development of food during March and April.

Changes in the Tax Administration's self-assessed tax data have not so far had an effect on the data of turnover indices

The effects of the changes in the Tax Administration's self-assessed tax data have been analysed in Statistics Finland’s turnover indices. Based on the analyses, the changes have thus far not been found to have significant effects on enterprises’ VAT reporting in terms of statistics production. More information about this in Changes in the periodic tax return data used in turnover indices .

Source: Turnover of trade, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Milka Suomalainen 029 551 2912, Seija Karttunen 029 551 2741, palvelut.suhdanne@stat.fi

Director in charge: Sami Saarikivi

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Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1. Year-on-year change in turnover in trade industries, % (TOL 2008) (15.6.2017)

Figures

• Appendix figure 1. Turnover of motor vehicles, wholesale and retail trade, trend series (TOL 2008) (15.6.2017)

Revisions in these statistics

• Revisions in these statistics (15.6.2017)

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Updated 15.06.2017