Czech retail rose 4.6 percent in June (y-o-y), quickening the pace of growth from May’s 2.7 percent result. The Czech Statistics Office reports that consumers showed the most interest in clothes and shoes, with sales rising 17.4 percent. But sporting goods also showed strong growth of 10 percent, something the stats office attributed to discounted prices and the warm weather. Online sales continued to make inroads, with sales at e-shops rising 14.3 percent. “June’s data didn’t confirm a slowdown in growth from the previous month,” said ČSÚ’s head of services statistics Marie Boušková. Fuel sales were less dynamic, growing just 2.6 percent, while sales at grocery stores rose 1.5 percent. IT and communications stores fared more positively, bringing in 7.3 percent more than a year ago, while specialized food retailers suffered a 3.9 percent drop.
