Spain: Retail sales continue to plunge in February amid lingering restrictions
Retail sales fell 9.4% compared to the same month of 2020 in February 2021, after plunging 10.8% in January, amid protracted containment measures.
Looking at the details of the release, February’s softer decline reflected a alight but almost broad-based improvement across all types of stores. Sales at single retail, small chain and department stores declined at sharp albeit somewhat less pronounced paces in the month, while sales at large chain stores fell at a more marked rate.
On a seasonally- and calendar-adjusted monthly basis, retail sales rebounded and grew 4.2% in February, contrasting the 7.6% plummet logged in January and marking the best reading since June 2020. Lastly, the trend pointed down, with the annual average variation of retail sales coming in at minus 8.8% in February, down from January’s minus 7.7% reading.