Eustat

Press release 25/02/2010

LARGE STORES TRADE INDEX (ICGS) JANUARY 2010

Sales at large stores in the Basque Country rose by 5.7% in January 2010

Food products registered a year-on-year fall of 1.6% and other products were up by 9.0%

Sales registered in the large stores of the Basque Country in January 2010 posted a nominal year-on-year increase of 5.7% in homogenous terms of the working calendar, according to Eustat data. The two main sectors performed differently in January. Sales of food products in the Basque Country registered a nominal year-on-year downturn of 1.6% and sales of other products rose by 9.0%.

The nominal increase in sales occurred in Gipuzkoa, where there was a 15.5% increase (where the opening of new stores has to be taken into account), and Bizkaia where sales were up by 3.2%, while there was a 0.9% decrease in Álava.

Compared to the previous month, December 2009, sales figures, once deseasonalized, showed a month-on month decrease of 2.1% in current terms for the Basque Country overall. Sales registered by the large stores in Álava posted a month-on-month decrease of 2.3%, those in Bizkaia fell by 1.7% in January 210 compared to December 2009, while there was a downturn of 2.7% in Gipuzkoa, all of which are in nominal terms.

Sales at large stores rose by 4.9% in constant terms

This fall in total sales meant that the two main sub-sectors performed very differently, once the price effect had been discounted. Sales of food products fell by 0.9%, while other products rose by 7.4% in constant terms.

In real terms, the large stores of Gipuzkoa posted a positive year-on-year variation of 15.4%, while sales in Bizkaia grew by 2.3% and fell by 1.5% in Álava.

Compared to the previous month, December 2009, sales at the large stores of the Basque Country fell by 2.0% in constant prices. The three provinces posted negative variations with respect to the previous month in real terms. In Álava, sales fell by 2.1%, they were down by 1.5% in Bizkaia for the same month-on-month period and the decrease in Gipuzkoa came to 2.8% in constant euros with respect to December 2009.

The number of people employed in large stores was up by 0.1% in January 2010 with respect to December, once adjusted for seasonal effects. Gipuzkoa recorded a positive variation (1.0%), but they were negative in Bizkaia D -0.3%) and Álava (-0.2%).

For further information:

Basque Statistics Office
C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz
Tlf:+34-945-01 75 00 Fax:+34-945-01 75 01 E-mail: eustat@eustat.es
Contact: Gerardo Pérez Aja
T el:+34-945-01 75 06 F ax:+34-945-01 75 01
Online press releases: www.eustat.es
Databank: www.eustat.es/bancopx/english/indice.asp