ArmInfo.Trade sector turnover in Armenia in 2020 decreased by 14% per annum (against 8.9% growth in 2019), amounting to 2.8 trillion drams ($ 5.8 billion). Moreover, in December 2020 alone trade turnover due to New Year holidays increased by 34.6% to 340.3 billion AMD ($ 655.8 million).
The change in the y-o-y upward trend to a downward trend was due to the subsidence of retail and wholesale trade amid the coronavirus pandemic and the continuing decline in car trade since 2019 within the EAEU grace period (customs exemptions). So, the proceeds of the purchase / sale of cars in 2020 accelerated the rate of y-o-y decline from 7.3% in 2019 up to 33.5%, amounting to 97 billion AMD ($ 198.4 million).
In total, wholesale trade in 2020 showed a decline of 9% per annum - to 1.4 trillion drams ($ 2.9 billion), against 11.5% growth a year earlier.
Retail trade turnover in 2020 amounted to 1.3 trillion drams ($ 2.6 billion), down 17.3% in y-o-y terms, against 7.7% growth a year earlier. In the structure of retail trade, the largest turnover is provided by shops (including supermarkets) - 81.2% or 1.1 billion drams (with an annual decline of 16.5%), other shopping facilities - 12.2% or 158.3 billion drams (from annual decline of 18.5%), followed by consumer goods markets - 3.9% or 50.6 billion (with an annual decline of 26.7%), stalls and kiosks - 1.7% or 22.5 billion (with an annual decline of 27.1%) and agricultural markets - 1% or 12.5 billion (with an annual decline of 5.9%).
Wholesale trade dominates in the structure of total trade turnover in Armenia - 51.3%, followed by retail trade - 45.3%, and purchase / sale of cars - 3.4%.
The average calculated AMD exchange rate in December 2020 was 518.91 AMD / $ 1, and in January- December 2020 - 489.01 AMD / $ 1, against 478.24 AMD / $ 1 in December 2019 and 480.45 AMD / $ 1 in January -December 2019
