Retail trade volume up by 2% in May

In comparison with May 2024, turnover volume grew by 13% in enterprises engaged in the retail sale of automotive fuel and by 5% in stores selling manufactured goods.

Johanna Linda Pihlak, analyst at Statistics Estonia, said that the decline in the volume of turnover in grocery stores accelerated in May, falling by 5% compared with the same period last year. “The decrease in May was influenced by the continued rise in food prices. The last time the volume of turnover in grocery stores increased year on year was in March 2024, i.e. 14 months ago,” Pihlak added.

Among stores selling manufactured goods, the biggest increase at 27% 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 8% in stores selling second-hand goods and non-store retail sale (stalls, markets and direct sale), and by 6% in pharmacies and stores selling cosmetics. Turnover volume fell by 8% in other non-specialised stores selling predominantly manufactured goods (department stores), and by 7% in stores selling textiles, clothing and footwear. The volume of turnover was down by 5% in stores selling via mail order or the internet and by 3% in stores selling household goods and appliances, hardware and building materials.

In comparison with April, the volume of retail trade turnover grew by 3% in May. According to the seasonally and working-day adjusted data, turnover fell by 2% compared with the previous month.

In the first five months of 2025, the volume of retail trade turnover increased by 3% compared with the same period last 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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