The rise in retail trade volume accelerated in April

Johanna Linda Pihlak, analyst at Statistics Estonia, said that the volume of turnover, which in March had grown by 2% year on year, showed slightly faster growth in April. “The increase in retail trade volume in April was driven by enterprises engaged in the retail sale of automotive fuel and by stores selling manufactured goods – compared with April last year, their turnover volume was up by 18% and 7%, respectively,” explained Pihlak.

Among stores selling manufactured goods, the biggest increase at 34% 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 3% in stores selling textiles, clothing and footwear, and by 2% in stores selling second-hand goods and non-store retail sale (stalls, markets and direct sale). Turnover volume decreased by 7% in stores selling via mail order or the internet, by 6% in other non-specialised stores selling predominantly manufactured goods (department stores), and by 2% in stores selling household goods and appliances, hardware and building materials. In pharmacies and stores selling cosmetics, the volume of turnover remained at the level of April 2024.

The turnover volume of grocery stores showed no increase in April and remained at the same level as in April last year.

Compared with March, the volume of retail trade turnover increased by 2% in April. According to the seasonally and working-day adjusted data, turnover volume was also up by 2% from the previous month.

In the first four months of 2025, the volume of retail trade turnover increased by 4% 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

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