Sales in Basque large stores fell by 2.1 percent in August 2008

amplify image

Sales in Basque large stores fell by 2.1 percent in August 2008. Photo: EFE

Sales registered in the large stores of the A.C. of the Basque Country in August 2008 experienced a nominal inter-annual decrease of 2.1 percent, in homogenous terms of the working calendar, according to Eustat data. Once the inflationary effect of prices had been deducted, the inter-annual rate for August fell by 6.8 percent in constant euros.

Sales of food products offered nominal inter-annual growth of 3.4 percent and those corresponding to other articles experienced a 5.1 percent fall. In real terms, sales of food products decreased by 3.0 percent and sales of other products fell by 8.8 percent.

The nominal decreases in sales were seen in all three provinces. In Alava they fell by 8.5 percent, in Bizkaia they decreased by 0.5 percent and in Gipuzkoa they did so by 1.6 percent. In real terms, the large stores in the provinces of Alava, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa also registered negative inter-annual variations. In Alava they decreased by 12.9 percent, in Bizkaia by 5.1 percent and in Gipuzkoa they fell by 6.6 percent.

In comparison to the previous month, July 2008, sales figures, once deseasonalized, showed an inter-monthly fall of 1.9 percent in nominal terms and a 1.8 percent decrease in constant prices.

Sales in the large stores of Alava decreased by 4.2 percent in August 2008, compared to July 2008, in current prices and decreased by 4.1 percent in constant terms.

In Bizkaia, sales in large stores reduced by 0.8 percent in August in relation to the previous month, July, in current terms and also fell, by 0.7 percent, in the same inter-monthly period in constant terms.

The inter-monthly decrease for August was a nominal 2.7 percent for sales in the large stores of Gipuzkoa, which becomes a fall of 2.8 percent in constant euros.

The number of personnel employed in large stores establishments experienced a 0.3 percent increase in August 2008 in relation to July 2008, with a positive variation in all three provinces. In Alava it rose by 0.5 percent, in Bizkaia it went up by 0.1 percent and in Gipuzkoa there was 0.7 percent increase, as regards the previous month.