Home > Statistics > Turnover of trade > 2008 > April > Sales of retail trade grew by 11.4 per cent in April

Published: 13 June 2008

Sales of retail trade grew by 11.4 per cent in April

According to Statistics Finland, retail trade sales were 11.4 per cent higher in April 2008 than one year previously. The increase in sales was mainly due to Easter being in March this year, while last year it was in April. This April had three more trading days than the corresponding month last year. Department store sales grew by 17.8 per cent and daily consumer goods sales by 9.7 per cent. Wholesale trade sales went up by 17.7 per cent from the previous year. Sales increased also in motor vehicle sales, by 12.6 per cent. In total trade the growth of sales was 16.6 per cent in April.

In January to April, the cumulative annual change in retail trade sales was 8.4 per cent. In the same period the corresponding figure for motor vehicle sales stood at 6.7 per cent and for wholesale trade sales at 12.0 per cent. In total trade, sales grew by 10.5 per cent year-on-year in the January to April period.

Annual change in turnover in trade industries by quarter in 2007, April 2008 and the early part of the year 2008, %

	Annual change by quarter %				Annual change in latest month %*	Cumulative annual change**
	04-06/07	07-09/07	10-12/07	01-03/08	04/08	01-04/08
Total trade	7.0	6.3	6.7	8.4	16.6	10.5
Motor vehicle trade	7.8	7.6	-3.6	4.5	12.6	6.7
Wholesale trade	7.2	5.6	9.2	9.9	17.7	12.0
Retail trade	5.7	6.8	6.8	7.4	11.4	8.4
- daily consumer goods trade	5.1	4.9	7.6	10.1	9.7	10.0
- department store trade	4.9	7.6	7.8	3.9	17.8	7.5
*) Annual change compares April 2008 to the corresponding month of the year before. **) The cumulative annual change compares January-April 2008 to the corresponding period of the year before.

As of the data released at the beginning of May 2008, monthly trend indicators have been calculated with a revised method. The revision affects both the calculation method and the calculation system of the indicators.

The main revisions to the calculation methods of the trend indicators concern the treatment of missing observations from the accumulation period, enterprise openings and closures, and foreign-owned enterprises. Further information on the methodological revision is available from Mr Antti Santaharju, tel. +358 9 1734 2720.

Source: Wholesale and retail trade 2008, April. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Retail trade: Mr Marko Tuomiaro +358 9 1734 2705 and Ms Eeva Immonen +358 9 1734 3464
Motor vehicle trade and Wholesale trade: Ms Aila Kovanen +358 9 1734 3384

Director in charge: Ms Hannele Orjala

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Last updated 16.6.2008