Thursday, May 4 2017 18:09

ArmInfo. In the first quarter of 2017, the growth of Armenia's trade  sector was due to the release of a positive trend in retail, wholesale and automobile trade.

According to the National Statistical Service of Armenia, the revenue of the trade sector by April 1 amounted to 489.2 billion drams ($ 1 billion), an increase of 11.3% year-on-year, against a decline of 1.1% a year earlier. Only in March 2017, trade turnover in Armenia increased by 20% to 196.3 billion drams ($ 405 million).

Wholesale trade for the reporting period increased volumes by 17% to 206.2 billion drams ($ 424.4 million), against growth of 4.7% in the first quarter of 2016. Only in March 2017, the turnover of wholesale  trade in Armenia increased by 26.9% to 87.7 billion drams.

Retail trade increased its revenues to 262.6 billion drams ($ 540.5 million), with an increase of 5.1% per annum, against the 4.8% decline in the first quarter of 2016. In March alone, retail revenue increased by 13.4% to 99.9 billion drams. In the structure of retail trade, stores (including supermarkets) provide the largest turnover - 202 billion drams or 77% (with annual growth of 7.1%), other retail facilities - 33.8 billion drams or 12.9% (from Annual growth of 1.6%), followed by consumer goods markets - 15.5 billion or 5.9% (with an annual decline of 8.3%), stalls and kiosks - 7.1 billion or 2.7% With an annual growth of 6.3%) and agricultural markets - 4 billion or 1.5% (with an annual decline of 1.5%).

The volume of purchase / sale of cars for the first quarter of 2017 increased by 54.3% to 20.4 billion drams ($ 42.1 million), against the decline of 1.3% a year earlier. On a monthly basis, car purchase / sale revenue increased by 37.8% to 8.7 billion drams.

In the structure of Armenia's total trade turnover, the lion's share (53.7%) falls to retail trade, 42.1% to wholesale trade, and 4.2% to the purchase / sale of cars.