Estonian shops suffering due to continued decline in sales

Text Ingel Kink
Photo Andrei Chertkov

According to data released by Statistics Estonia, retail trade turnover in Estonia fell to 839 million euros in September 2024, marking a 4 per cent decrease compared to September 2023. The drop is mainly attributed to a slowdown in sales of manufactured goods, which saw a 6 per cent decline year-on-year. Notably, specialised stores—including those focused on computers, books, sports equipment, toys, and household items—experienced a significant 10 per cent downturn in turnover. Department stores and stores selling textiles, clothing, and footwear also saw notable declines of 3 per cent and 9 per cent, respectively.

However, on a positive note, certain sectors experienced growth. Online and mail-order sales rose by 5 per cent, and pharmacies and cosmetics stores reported a 3 per cent increase. Additionally, second-hand stores and non-store retailers such as market stalls saw a modest 1 per cent rise in turnover.

Automotive fuel retailers observed a 3 per cent turnover increase, spurred by falling fuel prices. However, grocery stores recorded a 4 per cent year-over-year decline in turnover. Month-on-month, the turnover in September also dropped by 5per cent compared to August.

Across the first nine months of 2024, Estonia’s retail turnover was down by 4 per cent compared to the same period in 2023, highlighting that although inflation has fallen the amount of money people have available for purchasing even basics such as groceries is still decreasing by comparison.

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Automotive fuel retail Consumer Behaviour Estonia Estonian Economy Estonian Retail Industry Estonia Retail Trade Grocery Store Sales Estonia Manufactured Goods Statistics Estonia