Retail Sales Index falls 2.2% on the year

TIRANA, Nov 26؁lbania’s retail sales index for the third quarter dropped by 2.2% on the year, figures of the country’s National Statistics Institute, INSTAT, showed on Thursday.
On a quarterly basis, the index rose by 0.9%, INSTAT said in a statement.
In the second quarter, retail sales rose by 1.6% on the quarter and were 11.6% higher on the year.
The index measured 175.8 points in the third quarter, compared to a base 100 points in 2005.
The retail sales index in Albania includes sub-indices that measure the volume and value of sales of food, drinks and tobacco products; household equipment; pharmaceutical and cosmetic products; clothing, footwear and leather products; books, newspapers and stationer, and motor vehicles. The figures include also data about the number of people employed in retail sales and in the motor vehicle sales and repair sectors.