Home > Statistics > Turnover of trade > 2018 > March > Sales in total trade grew by 3.7 per cent year-on-year in March

Published: 14 May 2018

Sales in total trade grew by 3.7 per cent year-on-year in March

According to Statistics Finland, sales of total trade grew in March by 3.7 per cent from March 2017. Sales of wholesale trade went up by 5.2 per cent and sales of retail trade by 4.5 per cent. Among retail trade industries, sales in daily consumer goods trade grew by 7.1 per cent and in department store trade by 5.4 per cent. By contrast, sales in motor vehicle trade decreased by 3.3 per cent compared to March 2017.

Annual change in turnover in trade industries, % (TOL 2008)

Sales volume in retail trade grew by 2.7 per cent year-on-year in March

The sales volume in retail trade was 2.7 per cent greater in March than twelve months earlier. Over the same period, the sales volume in wholesale trade grew by 3.1 per cent. By contrast, the sales volume in motor vehicle trade went down by 3.3 per cent and thus decreased as much as turnover in the industry. The sales volume of total trade increased by 2.1 per cent in March from March 2017.

The volume index of sales is calculated by removing the effect of price changes from the value index series.

Sales in total trade grew by 5.0 per cent in the first quarter

In the January to March period, sales went up by 4.3 per cent in retail trade and by 5.9 per cent in wholesale trade compared with the corresponding period of 2017. Sales in motor vehicle trade increased by 2.8 per cent over the same period. Total trade sales increased by 5.0 per cent from January to March 2017.

The reported annual changes in trade sales and sales volumes are not seasonally or trading day adjusted, which means that the effects of public holidays are not considered. In March, the development of sales was partly due to Easter being at the turn of March and April this year, while last year it was in April. The fact that Easter occurs in different months is in particular visible in the sales development of food during March and April.

Source: Turnover of trade, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Aki Niskanen 029 551 2657, Seija Karttunen 029 551 2741, palvelut.suhdanne@stat.fi

Director in charge: Mari Ylä-Jarkko

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Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1. Year-on-year change in turnover in trade industries, % (TOL 2008) (14.5.2018)

Figures

• Appendix figure 1. Turnover of motor vehicles, wholesale and retail trade, trend series (TOL 2008) (14.5.2018)

Revisions in these statistics

• Revisions in these statistics (14.5.2018)

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Updated 14.05.2018