Increase in retail sales

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The seasonally-adjusted volume index of retail sales increased by 1.8 percent from March to April 2019. This follows an increase of 0.7 percent from February to March.

Written by: Marie Skjeldås

The long-term trend in retail sales now shows an increase since the end of 2018, and is currently at roughly the same level as the peak around the summer of 2018.

Figure 1. Retail sales volume index, seasonally adjusted and trend. 2015=100

Retail trade, except sales of motor vehicles seasonally adjusted Retail trade, except sales of motor vehicles trend
Jan. 2013 99.5 98.2
Feb. 2013 98.9 98.4
Mar. 2013 98.6 98.5
Apr. 2013 97.4 98.6
May. 2013 100.0 98.6
June 2013 99.2 98.6
July 2013 98.4 98.6
Aug. 2013 98.6 98.7
Sep. 2013 99.1 98.6
Oct. 2013 98.2 98.6
Nov. 2013 98.5 98.7
Dec. 2013 98.8 98.8
Jan. 2014 98.9 99.1
Feb. 2014 99.5 99.4
Mar. 2014 100.1 99.7
Apr. 2014 100.8 100.0
May. 2014 99.8 100.2
June 2014 100.9 100.2
July 2014 99.0 100.2
Aug. 2014 99.9 100.2
Sep. 2014 100.3 100.2
Oct. 2014 100.1 100.2
Nov. 2014 100.0 100.3
Dec. 2014 100.7 100.4
Jan. 2015 100.0 100.5
Feb. 2015 100.8 100.6
Mar. 2015 100.8 100.7
Apr. 2015 103.5 100.6
May. 2015 98.7 100.5
June 2015 100.2 100.4
July 2015 100.5 100.3
Aug. 2015 100.9 100.3
Sep. 2015 100.1 100.4
Oct. 2015 100.8 100.5
Nov. 2015 100.4 100.5
Dec. 2015 100.0 100.4
Jan. 2016 100.7 100.2
Feb. 2016 99.9 99.9
Mar. 2016 99.0 99.7
Apr. 2016 98.9 99.5
May. 2016 99.9 99.4
June 2016 99.9 99.4
July 2016 99.2 99.5
Aug. 2016 99.7 99.7
Sep. 2016 99.7 99.8
Oct. 2016 101.0 100.0
Nov. 2016 100.4 100.3
Dec. 2016 98.1 100.5
Jan. 2017 100.0 100.7
Feb. 2017 101.3 101.0
Mar. 2017 101.4 101.2
Apr. 2017 101.1 101.5
May. 2017 102.6 101.6
June 2017 102.4 101.7
July 2017 102.5 101.7
Aug. 2017 101.9 101.7
Sep. 2017 101.3 101.8
Oct. 2017 101.5 101.9
Nov. 2017 103.3 102.1
Dec. 2017 102.3 102.2
Jan. 2018 101.8 102.4
Feb. 2018 102.6 102.5
Mar. 2018 102.5 102.6
Apr. 2018 102.8 102.6
May. 2018 105.1 102.7
June 2018 102.1 102.7
July 2018 102.6 102.7
Aug. 2018 103.0 102.7
Sep. 2018 102.4 102.6
Oct. 2018 102.2 102.5
Nov. 2018 103.4 102.4
Dec. 2018 101.3 102.4
Jan. 2019 102.9 102.4
Feb. 2019 101.7 102.5
Mar. 2019 102.4 102.7
Apr. 2019 104.2 102.9

Working-day adjusted figures show that the retail sales volume increased by 0.3 percent in the period  February 2019 – April 2019, compared to the same period one year earlier.

Seasonally-adjusted figures for March and April are more uncertain

Due to Easter, it is difficult to compare the sales index for March and April with the corresponding months in 2018. The seasonally-adjusted index takes the Easter holidays in March or April into Account, but it is difficult to correct for Easter shopping. Therefore, the seasonally-adjusted indices for March and April are more uncertain than the seasonally-adjusted indices for the other months.

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