Retail sales during the first three quarters of the year amounted to 3012 billion HUF – at current prices 16 percent, at unchanged prices 7 percent more than in 1998. The 409 billion HUF retail turnover in September was 17 percent higher at current prices and 7 percent higher at comparative prices than the year before. Retail sales of cultural and other goods increased by an exceptional 34 percent, while textile, clothing and shoe sales went up by 17 percent. In these two classes of business growth was 9 and 11 percent respectively during the first nine months. With its one third share in overall sales, foodstuffs and similar goods have increased their turnover by 8 percent at comparative prices, while with a much smaller share – accounting for only about 4 percent of the total – the retails sales of manufactured goods was 7 percent higher than last September.
Fuel sales went up by 3 percent in September compared to the base month. The modest growth of third quarter sales compared to the first half of the year indicates the effect of higher fuel prices. For similar reasons pharmaceutical, therapeutic and drugstore sales dropped 15 percent at comparative prices in September, however the volume of the first three quarters is still 5 percent higher than last year.
In the coming year, together with growing consumption, savings will decline and investments could further slow down. Consequently inflation could be higher than planned by the government. –
HALÁSZ JÁNOS, az S&C Rt. beszerzési igazgatója: “Az élelmiszer-kereskedelem erősen koncentrálódott, várhatóan az iparcikk- és textilkereskedelemre is ez lesz a jellemző. A nagyok közötti erős verseny jót tesz a piacnak, mivel kordában tartja az árakat. A városszéli szupermarketek jelentős tért nyertek a belvárosiakkal szemben, ezért minden lehetséges eszközzel azért küzdünk, hogy ismét vonzóak legyünk. A Skála például összefogott az önkormányzatokkal, mivel nem csak az áruházakat kívánják megszépíteni, hanem a környezetüket is. Fontos, hogy egy áruház állandóan meg tudjon újulni, mert különben hamar unalmassá válhat.”
