Retail sales in Hungary fell by annual 3.2% in December, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) said.
Adjusted for calendar year effects, retail sales fell by 4%, as food sales increased by 1.9%, but non-food sales declined 9.3% and vehicle fuel sales dropped by 11.9%. For the full year, retail sales edged down 0.2%.
Erste Bank chief analyst Orsolya Nyeste said December retail sales data came as an “unpleasant surprise”. Mandatory shop closing times, ahead of an evening curfew, and cautious spending amidst concerns of unemployment against the backdrop of the second wave of the pandemic may have impacted sales, she added.
hungarymatters.hu
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