Retail value climbs by 24.2 per cent in 2011

January 11, 2012 | 14:00

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The value of retail sales and services enjoyed a year-on-year increase of 24.2 per cent to VND2,004 trillion ($95.5 billion) in 2011, announced the General Statistics Office (GSO).

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However, if price increases were included in the figure, the growth was only 4.7 per cent compared with 2010, representing the lowest growth rate in the past four years, the office said.

In recent years, the total retail sales value surged by 6 per cent in 2007 and 2008, 11 per cent in 2009 and 14 per cent in 2010.

GSO economic experts said the low retail sales growth last year was due to the high consumer price index (CPI) of 18.58 per cent which forced the retail value of goods and services up by 24.2 per cent in terms of the actual amount paid but not in terms of volume and value.

Vu Manh Ha, a GSO expert on retail goods and service said a few groups of goods and services accounted for a large percentage of the total retail sales value and were priced higher than they were the previous year.

For instance, food prices increased by 29.34 per cent, with rice prices rising by 22.82 per cent, education costs rose by 23.18 per cent, and housing and building material prices surged by 19.7 per cent.

Input prices for production of goods and services also surged in comparison with 2010, Ha said.

The lower growth rate contributed to reducing CPI during the final months of the year, the trade deficit and curbing inflation. However, it also led to an oversupply of goods, boosted production costs and slowed business.

VIR/VNA

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