Today, the Ministry of Economy and Labour released the December 2022 Retail Sales Index.
December’s retail sales volume decreased 1.7 per cent compared to last year. In value terms, retail sales increased to an estimated $117.8 million.
Four of the seven sectors recorded volume decreases in December 2022.
The sales volume at Apparel Stores fell 17.5 per cent and was 18.7 per cent below the pre-pandemic sales of 2019.
The sales volume for Food Stores declined 7.2 per cent, while Liquor Stores’ sales volume increased 1.5 per cent. Compared to the pre-pandemic sales volume in 2019, Food Stores registered an 8.3 per cent decrease, and sales for Liquor Stores were 13.2 per cent higher.
In the All Other Store Types sector (comprising stores selling household items, furniture, appliances, electronics, pharmaceuticals and tourist-related goods), there was a 7.0 per cent decrease in sales volume. Sales for this sector registered 3.6 per cent below the pre-pandemic sales volume for the same period of 2019.
Service Stations’ sales volume decreased 4.9 per cent from last year and was 5.9 per cent below the pre-pandemic sales in December 2019.
The following sectors experienced increases in sales volume compared to the previous year.
Motor Vehicle Stores’ sales volume increased 7.1 per cent due to a higher inventory of automobiles available compared to the previous year. The sales level was 7.1 per cent below the sales volume in December 2019 before the pandemic.
The sales volume for Building Material Stores increased 30.3 per cent. The sales volume for this sector was 77.4 per cent above the 2019 sales level.
Overseas declarations decreased 1.5 per cent compared to December 2021 and were 35.4 per cent higher than in the pre-pandemic period.
The public can review the December 2022 Retail Sales Index report at https://www.gov.bm/retail-sales-index-rsi.