OREANDA-NEWS. November 03, 2009. Belarus’ retail turnover, including the public catering sector, went up 2.6% on the year in January-September to 40.318 trillion Belarusian rubles (Br), an official with the National Statistics Committee told. The increase in retail sales is projected at 17% in 2009.

Retail sales by trading companies rose 2.9 % on the year in the period to 38.3 trillion rubles, while public catering companies’ sales edged down 2.7% on the year to 2 trillion rubles.

Of the total, trade organizations accounted for 72.2%, and individual entrepreneurs and newly formed unitary companies accounted for the remaining 27.8%.

The share of foods and non-foods in total retail trade turnover was at 50.7% and 49.3%, respectively, compared to 50% and 50% in January-September 2008.

Belarus-made consumer goods accounted for 79.1% of the retail trade turnover. Trade at markets was not accounted for. The share of Belarusian foodstuffs was at 86.6%, Belarusian non-foods at 68.2% in retail trade.

The share of private companies in the total retail turnover was at 81.6%, unchanged from January-September 2008, state companies 14.3%, down 0.6 of a percentage point year-on-year, while the share of foreign companies stood at 3.7%, up 0.4 of a percentage point.