ArmInfo. In 2019 the turnover of the Armenian trade sector increased by 8.9% per annum (against 8.7% growth in 2018), amounting to 3.2 trillion drams ($ 6.7 billion). In December 2019 alone, the trade turnover in Armenia increased by 27.7% to 386.9 billion drams ($ 809 million).
The acceleration in the dynamics of the trade sector is due to the acceleration of the retail growth rate and the continued positive trend in wholesale trade. At the same time, revenue from car trade on the contrary showed a decline instead of an upward trend a year earlier.
In particular, in 2019 wholesale showed an increase of 11.5% per annum - up to 1.5 trillion drams ($ 3.3 billion), versus 16.4% growth a year earlier. In 2019, the revenue of car purchase / sale decreased by 7.3%, instead of growth by 16.7% a year earlier, amounting to 122.6 billion drams ($ 255.3 million). In December 2019 alone, the wholesale trade turnover increased by 16.6% - up to 176.5 billion drams, and the volume of car trade - by 20.6% - up to 16.7 billion drams.
According to the Statistical Committee of the Republic of Armenia, the retail turnover in 2019 amounted to 1.6 trillion drams ($ 3.2 billion), an increase of 7.7% year-on-year, against a 1.3% growth a year earlier. In December alone, retail trade turnover grew by 40.7% to 193.6 billion drams.
In the structure of retail trade, the largest turnover is provided by shops (including supermarkets) - 80.2% or 1.2 billion drams (with an y-o-y growth of 8.5%), other retail facilities - 12.6% or 194.8 billion drams (with y-o- growth of 9.9%), followed by consumer goods markets by 4.4% or 68.3 billion (with a y-o-y decline of 4.6%), stalls and kiosks - 2% or 30.6 billion (with y-o-y growth of 10.9%) and agricultural markets - 0.8% or 13 billion (with a y-o-y decline of 18%).
In the structure of the total trade turnover of Armenia, wholesale trade dominates - 48.5%, followed by retail trade - 47.7%, and car purchase / sale - 3.8%.
The average settlement rate of the dram in December 2019 was 478.24 dr / $ 1, and in January-December 2019 - 480.45 dr / $ 1, against 484.67 dr / $ 1 in December 2018 and 482.99 dr / $ 1 - in January - December 2018