Fueled by panic buying, retail sales in Hungary increased by 11.3 percent y-o-y in February, according to data released by the Central Statistical Office (KSH). Sales at specialized and non-specialized food stores were up 10.7 percent, adjusted for calendar effects, while the volume at non-food retail shops increased by 11.4 percent and automotive fuel retailing jumped by 1.8 percent during the month. Between January and February, retail sales were up 9.5 percent y-o-y, according to the data. KSH noted that panic buying at the end of February due to the coronavirus pandemic, accounted for 5.7 percent of the total increase in sales. Online sales, making up 6.7 percent of the total retail sales volume for the month, also grew by 33 percent.
