Four per cent increase in retail trade

The volume index of retail sales rose by just under four per cent in October this year compared with October last year. The value index rose by just over six per cent during the same period.

Retail trade in this context excludes motor vehicles and petrol. Retail sales volume of other new goods including clothing, shoes, electrical goods, furniture, hardware, paint and building materials increased by six per cent in October this year compared with October last year. The sales volume of shops selling pharmaceuticals, medical goods, cosmetics and toiletries rose five per cent in October. The volume index of retail sales in non-specialized stores, which consist mostly of grocery stores, increased by 2.5 per cent. The corresponding figure for retail sales of food, beverages and tobacco in specialized stores declined 2.5 per cent.

The seasonally adjusted volume index of retail sales went up by 0.6 per cent from September to October this year.

6 per cent increase so far this year
The volume index of retail sales rose by just over six per cent in the first 10 months of 1998 compared with the same period last year. Retail sales of other new goods increased the volume the most during this period, with nearly 13 per cent. The sales volume of shops selling pharmaceuticals, medical goods, cosmetics and toiletries and non-store retail sales increased just over six per cent. The volume index of retail sales in non-specialized stores rose by two per cent, while the index for specialized stores selling food, beverages and tobacco went down just over three per cent during the same period.

New Statistics
Index of retail sales, October 1998.
The statistics are published monthly in the Weekly Bulletin of Statistics. For more information contact: Rune.Sonsterudbraten@ssb.no, tel. +47 62 88 54 37, or Solveig.Nygardseter@ssb.no, tel. +47 62 88 51 74.

Weekly Bulletin issue no. 50, 1998