The Finnish retail trade’s Christmas sales were strong, as was expected, a flash estimate by Statistics Finland reveals.
The retail sector’s Christmas sales went up by 4.3 per cent from the year before. In October-November the Federation of Finnish Commerce predicted that the increase would be in the region of four per cent.
The actual sales volumes increased by 1.8 per cent. The difference between the value and the volume percentages is down to price increases.
The flash estimate compiled by Statistics Finland is based on a sample covering roughly half of the retail trade turnover.
Federation of Finnish Commerce chief economist Jaana Kurjenoja points out that the uncertain economic situation that continued throughout the autumn affected the Christmas sales less than had been feared.
“Consumer confidence remained relatively stable in the autumn and even unemployment did not increase”, Kurjenoja explains.
