By Nazrin Abdul

From January to June of this year, Azerbaijan’s retail trade network sold goods worth 27.251 billion manats, including 15.036 billion manats worth of food products, beverages, and tobacco products, and 12.215 billion manats worth of non-food items, Azernews reports citing the Azerbaijan’s State Statistics Committee.

Compared to the same period last year, the retail trade turnover increased by 3.4% in real terms. This includes a 1.9% increase in food products, beverages, and tobacco products, and a 5.2% increase in non-food goods.

50.6% went towards food products, 4.6% was spent on beverages and tobacco products, 12.9% was used for textiles, clothing, and footwear, 5.7% was spent on automobile gasoline and diesel fuel, 4.7% went towards electrical goods and furniture, 2.3% was used for pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, and 1.2% was spent on computers, telecommunications equipment, and print products. The remaining 18% of spending was allocated to various other non-food goods.

During the reporting period, the value of goods sold by non-state sector businesses increased by 3.4% in real terms compared to the previous year, accounting for 99.7% of the total retail trade turnover.

Over the course of the year, retail trade turnover grew in real terms by 10.4% for enterprises, 0.1% for individual entrepreneurs, and 2.1% in markets and fairs.

Over the six months, the average monthly expenditure per person in the retail trade network was 445.7 manats, including 245.9 manats on food products, beverages, and tobacco products, and 199.8 manats on non-food goods.