Retail sales in the Czech Republic saw a significant increase in October 2024, both on a monthly and annual basis. Online and mail-order sales, along with fuel sales, contributed to the growth, while some brick-and-mortar stores experienced declines.
Compared to the previous month, retail sales rose by 0.6%, while year-on-year growth was 5.5%. Fuel sales performed particularly well, increasing by 2.6% compared to September. Non-food products followed with a 0.4% rise, while food products saw a 0.2% increase.
On a year-on-year basis, all categories showed positive growth. Fuel sales rose by 12.2%, non-food product sales increased by 6.6%, and food sales grew by 1.6%.
Jana Gotvaldová, head of the Department of Trade, Transport, and Services Statistics at the Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ), explained that the overall increase was largely driven by online and mail-order sales, which saw the highest growth. Conversely, sales in household goods stores declined.
Sales in stores specialising in pharmaceutical and medical products rose by 12.9%, while sales of cosmetics and toiletries increased by 10.6%. Clothing and footwear also saw an increase of 1.5%, as did products for culture, sports, and leisure, which rose by 0.6%. However, household goods stores experienced a 5.5% decline in sales, and stores selling computer and communication devices recorded a 2.8% decrease.
Online and mail-order sales stood out with an impressive 20.4% increase.
The sale and repair of motor vehicles also showed positive growth. Compared to the previous month, sales increased by 0.2%, and year-on-year, they rose by 2.3%. Within this sector, revenues from motor vehicle repairs increased by 3.4%, while sales of vehicles and spare parts grew by 2.0%.
