Retail sales in Poland

Retail sales measure the volume of goods sold in Poland's retail outlets, including food. Published by Statistics Poland (GUS), it is one of the most relevant indicators for tracking household consumption.

Compiled from a survey of retail firms on their turnover, from which an index is built against a base year. It is usually released in real terms (deflated volume) and as year-on-year and month-on-month changes.

It provides an early read on private consumption, the largest component of Polish GDP, making it an input for estimating growth and guiding the National Bank of Poland's policy. A strong print points to firmer domestic demand.

It is a volatile indicator, sensitive to seasonal factors, promotions and calendar effects. Preliminary data are revised as more survey responses come in, and the nominal figure can diverge sharply from the real one when inflation is high.