Results for March 2020 were influenced by measures taken to prevent the spread of coronavirus because of which many stores with mostly non-food goods were closed for part of the month or their operation was limited.
The most significant year-on-year sales decrease (drop by 64.9%) occurred in stores with clothing, footwear and leather goods and in stores with cultural and recreation goods (drop by 47.1%).
Sales decreased also in retail sale in specialised stores with information and communication equipment (drop by 29.7%) and in retail sale of other household equipment in specialised stores (drop by 22.0%).
Sales for sale of goods via mail order houses or via Internet increased (+20.8%). Growth of sales was reported also for the sale of dispensing chemist, medical and orthopaedic goods (+9.1%).
The above mentioned overall growth of sales for food was entirely owing to retail sale in non-specialised stores with food, beverages or tobacco predominating (growth of sales by 5.2%).
Sales in retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores decreased by 17.3%.