Retail trade in Ukraine advances 8% in May

Retail trade advanced 8.2% yoy in real terms in May,
decelerating from 9.1% yoy in April, Ukraine’s State Statistics Service
reported on June 20. On a month-to-month basis, retail sales rose 1.1% in real
terms.

In 5M19, retail trade increased 9.6% in real terms
(vs. 5.0% yoy in 5M18). Regionally, the highest retail growth in 5M19 occurred
in the Vinnytsia (18.3% yoy), Cherkasy (15.6% yoy) and Odesa (15.2% yoy)
regions. It was slowest in the Chernihiv (0.5% yoy), Chernivtsi (0.8% yoy) and
Zakarpattia (2.1% yoy) regions.

Evgeniya Akhtyrko: Real retail continued to advance in May, driven by personal income
growth (mostly wages). We expect real retail trade to increase 6-7% yoy in 2019
(vs. 5.8% yoy in 2018).