Retail Sales in Czech Republic

Retail sales measure the volume of goods sold by the Czech Republic's retail outlets, food included. Published by the Czech Statistical Office (CZSO), they are one of the most important gauges of household spending.

The CZSO builds an index against a base year from the turnover reported by a sample of retailers. It is released in volume terms (deflated), calendar- and seasonally-adjusted, as monthly and year-on-year changes.

It gives an early read on private consumption, the largest component of Czech GDP, making it an input for growth estimates and for Czech National Bank (CNB) decisions.

It is a volatile indicator, sensitive to seasonality, promotions and calendar effects. Preliminary data are revised as more survey responses come in.