Hungary Retail Sales Rise

The volume of retail sales in Hungary in May increased by 7.2% according to raw data, and by 7.8% adjusted for calendar effects compared to May 2017, according to a first estimate of monthly retail data from the Central Statistical Office. The May increases compare to respective raw and adjusted increases of 4.4% and 6.1% in April, HNA reported. The volume of sales in May, adjusted for calendar effects, rose by 5.8% in specialized and non-specialized food shops, by 9.7% in non-food retail shops, and by 8.1% in automotive fuel retail. In January–May 2018, the volume of sales—also according to calendar-adjusted data—was 7.1% higher than in the corresponding period of the previous year. Adjusted food sales were up 4.8%, non-food sales climbed 9.6%, and fuel sales rose 7.9%. Meanwhile, Hungary?s seasonally adjusted purchasing managers’ index fell to 53.0 points in June, down from a revised 55.2 points in May, the Hungarian Association of Logistics, Purchasing and Inventory Management, which compiles the index, said on Monday.