Retail sector sales expanded 6.9% in September 2017 compared to the same month last year, Production Minister Pedro Olaechea affirmed.
Said increase was mainly underpinned by greater dynamism of sales at department stores and supermarkets, which registered good results thanks to the continuous discounts offered by the sector's companies.
According to Olaechea, the
construction sector recovery —for the fourth consecutive month— along with public and private investment rebound also contributed to
increasing sales of products such as hardware and household appliances (+15%).
The cabinet member also mentioned the retail trade index had joined a slight upward trend in the first nine months of 2017. For this reason, a recovery in
consumption's results is expected for the coming months, especially due to Christmas holidays.
Likewise, he explained this change in the trend shows that the
retail sector might start to recover from the slowdown experienced since the second half of 2016.
This projection is in line with the diverse economic indicators that reveal an acceleration in the
country's GDP.