Retail trade volume up by 2% in March

Johanna Linda Pihlak, analyst at Statistics Estonia, said that the rise in the volume of retail trade turnover in March was driven by enterprises engaged in the retail sale of automotive fuel and by stores selling manufactured goods. “On the other hand, the decline in the turnover volume of grocery stores accelerated in March, as the turnover volume of these stores was down by 7% year on year,” added Pihlak.

The volume of turnover in enterprises engaged in the retail sale of automotive fuel increased by 15% compared with March 2024. “The increase in the turnover volume of these enterprises was influenced by the low reference base of March last year and by motor fuel prices being cheaper than last year,” explained Pihlak.

Compared with March 2024, the turnover volume of stores selling manufactured goods increased by 5%. Among these stores, the biggest increase at 25% was registered in the turnover volume of other specialised stores selling predominantly computers and their accessories, books, sports equipment, games, toys, etc. The volume of turnover was up by 7% in pharmacies and stores selling cosmetics and by 2% in stores selling via mail order or the internet. The volume of turnover was down by 9% in other non-specialised stores selling predominantly manufactured goods (e.g. department stores), by 5% in stores selling household goods and appliances, hardware and building materials, and by 2% in stores selling second-hand goods and in non-store retail sale (stalls, markets and direct sale). In stores selling textiles, clothing and footwear, turnover volume fell by 1%.

Compared with February this year, the volume of retail trade turnover grew by 12% in March. According to the seasonally and working-day adjusted data, turnover volume was down by 1% from the previous month.

In the first three months of 2025 (January–March), the volume of retail trade turnover increased by 3% compared with the same period of the previous year.

Retail trade data are published according to the main economic activity of the enterprise. For example, the data on stores selling via mail order or the internet cover only those enterprises whose main activity according to the Classification of Economic Activities in Estonia (EMTAK 2008) is retail sale via mail order houses or via internet (EMTAK 4791). If an enterprise’s main economic activity is, for example, retail sale in non-specialised stores with food, beverages or tobacco predominating (EMTAK 4711), but the enterprise also sells goods through an online store, the turnover data of both the physical store and the online store are reported under grocery stores.

Turnover volume index – an index that expresses the change in the volume of sales of goods at constant prices compared with the sales in a previous period. Price indices of goods are used in the calculation of the turnover volume index.

The statistics are based on the VAT declaration data of the Estonian Tax and Customs Board. Statistics Estonia performs the statistical activity “Financial statistics of trade enterprises (monthly)” for the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications in order to determine how the Estonian economy is doing. 

See also the internal trade section on our website. More detailed data have been published in the statistical database.

When using Statistics Estonia’s data and graphs, please indicate the source.
 

For further information:

Heidi Kukk
Media Relations Manager
Marketing and Dissemination Department
Statistics Estonia
Tel +372 5696 6484 
press [at] stat.ee

Photo: Shutterstock