Retail sales report modest growth in Q4 2017

Retail sales in the Albanian economy grew modestly even in the last quarter of 2017.

According to the Institute of Statistics, retail sales index rose 1.3% year-on-year.

This growth is slightly higher compared with the third quarter, but it confirms a sharp decline in sales growth in the Albanian economy over the past year.

Even in the last months of 2017, retail sales of hydrocarbons have marked a striking difference, since in the fourth quarter they fell by 5.2% year-on-year.

Excluding hydrocarbons, the growth in the sales index was 3.5%, an increase similar to the previous quarter.

The main impact was produced by the growth in sales of food products, by 11.3% compared to the same period of last year.

The weakening of retail sales growth during 2017 was somewhat unexpected, considering the forecasts of specialized institutions for a gradual improvement in consumption.

Although a significant factor has been the declining movement of fuel prices, even if we exclude this group, the growth in sales does not show an impressive size.

Retail sales are among the main indirect indicators of the private consumption performance in the economy.

Since the second half of 2017, the contribution of investments and exports to economic growth has faded, and to a large extent, renewal of consumption will be decisive in maintaining growth rates.

SCAN

*Material i përgatitur nga portali SCAN. Ripublikimi mund të bëhet vetëm kundrejt citimit të autorësisë dhe burimit origjinal.