Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) - Total retail sales of goods and services in Vietnam inthe first seven months of the year rose 11.6 percent from the same period in2018 to reach 2.8 quadrillion VND (120.36 billion USD).
Thegrowth rate was lower than the rate recorded in 2018 but higher than thoseof the previous three years, according to the General Statistics Office(GSO). From 2015 to 2017, retail sales growth was between 10 percent and 10.8 percentper year.
If theprice factor was excluded, purchasing power in the first seven months increasedby 8.74 percent – higher than the 8.72 percent recorded in the same periodof last year.
In Julyalone, retail sales of goods and services was 415.1 trillion VND (17.93 billionUSD), up 1.7 percent from the previous month and up 12.4 percent year on year.
Of thefigure, retail sales of goods accounted for 75 percent and increased by 13.4 percentyear on year.
Retailsales of goods for the full seven-month period were up 12.5 percent year onyear to 2.13 quadrillion VND, accounting for 76 percent of the total.
Among allsectors, purchases of educational and cultural products grew by 14.2 percentyear on year, followed by food and beverage (12.8 percent), transportation(12.2 percent), home appliances (11.4 percent) and textiles and apparel (10.7 percent).
The localitieswith the highest purchasing power growth rates included Quang Ninh (18.9 percent),Binh Duong (17.2 percent), Thanh Hoa (14.9 percent), Hai Phong (14.7 percent),Bac Ninh (14.1 percent), HCM City (13.9 percent), Binh Dinh (13.6 percent) andHanoi (13.5 percent).
Also inthe first seven months of 2019, sales of accommodation and catering servicesrose 10 percent year on year to 337.5 trillion VND, accounting for 12 percentof the total.
Travelsales in the period achieved an estimate of 25.8 trillion VND,representing 0.9 percent of the total and climbing by 12.5 percent from the ayear ago.
Sales ofother services in the period were estimated at 307.3 trillion VND, 11 percentof the total and representing an expansion of 6.7 percent compared to the sameperiod in 2018.-VNA
VNA
