Czech retail sales increased by a record 9.5 percent year-on-year in February, and seasonally-adjusted sales rose by 7.6 percent, the Czech Statistical Office CSU said today.

A seasonally unadjusted growth in January reached 6.8 percent.

Record breaking (or the second highest) sale increases were recorded for many groups of goods, 12.2 percent for non-food goods, of which 23.3 percent for electronics, construction materials, furniture, gardening articles and other household goods. Sales of food, beverages and tobacco rose by 5.8 percent.

Seasonally adjusted sales in retail trade in constant prices increased by 1.5 percent month-on-month in February, of which food, beverages and tobacco grew by 2.2 percent and non-food goods by 1.0 percent.

Specialised stores with non-food goods contributed the most to the total growth in February (70 percent), the biggest share in the growth of total sales had the above-mentioned stores with electronics and construction materials (approximately 29 percent). Sales in this type of stores were boosted, among other things, by extraordinary favourable weather conditions for construction work. The higher consumer demand for pharmaceutical and medical goods, cosmetic and toilet articles, which started in January, continued (sales up by 10.4 percent).

In the automotive segment, not seasonally adjusted sales rose by 9.4 percent year-on-year in constant prices, of which sale, maintenance and repair of motor vehicles increased by 10.0 percent and sale of automotive fuel by 8.2 percent.

In retail trade including the automotive segment, seasonally adjusted sales in constant prices increased by 0.6 percent month-on-month and not seasonally adjusted sales by 9.4 percent year-on-year.

The growth in sales in hotels and restaurants that began in November 2006 continued in February 2007. Not seasonally adjusted sales increased by 3.4 percent year-on-year in constant prices, of which by 3.7 percent in hotels and by 3.3 percent in restaurants, bars and canteens. The growth in hotels was predominantly due to large enterprises operating hotels (5.3 percent). Among restaurants, bars and canteens, restaurants achieved the best result (3.8 percent).

In February, according to data released by Eurostat, seasonally adjusted constant price retail sales in the EU27 were up by 0.5 percent month-on-month and up by 2.8 percent year-on-year (working days adjusted).