Austrian retail sector with turnover growth in 2021

Press release: 12.727-025/22

Austrian retail sector with turnover growth in 2021

Vienna,2022-02-04 – According to preliminary results from Statistics Austria, Austrian retail companies (excluding automotive trade; including petrol stations) achieved a nominal increase in turnover of 5.0% in 2021. Taking into account price developments, an increase in sales volume of 2.9% year-on-year was recorded.

When comparing with the period of the previous year, it should be noted that a large proportion of businesses were affected to varying degrees by closures and other restrictions due to the measures taken against the Corona pandemic in 2020 and 2021.

Compared to 2019, retail sales (in real terms) were already 2.7% higher. Excluded from this positive economic trend in 2021 are gas stations (-8.9%) and the “clothing and footwear” sector, with a drop in sales volume of 21.2% compared to 2019.

Retail trade of food, beverages and tobacco registered a nominal increase of 1.7% year-on-year, corresponding to a price-adjusted (real) increase in sales volumes of 0.4% . Non-food retail sales increased by 6.1% in 2021 and, adjusted for inflation, sales increased by 4.5% compared to 2020.

Although 2021 had the same number of shopping days as the previous year at 303, industry-dependent selling days decreased in both years due to Corona pandemic containment measures.

In December 2021, according to preliminary results, the retail trade (excluding car dealerships; including service stations) achieved an increase in its (nominal) turnover of 2.9% over one year. Adjusted for inflation (in real terms), sales fell slightly by 0.7%. With 26 shopping days, December 2021 theoretically had one more sales day than December 2020, but the number of actual sales days was severely limited in some cases by the measures taken to contain the Corona pandemic in both years, according to the sectors.

The results were calculated by Statistics Austria, Short Term Statistics Services. The preliminary sales indicators for the reference month have been prepared on the basis of approximately 45% of the Austrian retail volume.

For more information, please see the German version.