OREANDA-NEWS. May 26, 2010. The volume of retail trade in January-April 2010 amounted to 7 billion, 017.2 million leis (USD 549 million), increasing by 7,8% compared to the same period of 2009. As it was informed at the National Bureau of Statistics, compared to March, the retail sales in April have grown by 4,7% and as compared to April 2009- by 11%, respectively.

As the NBS experts note, the growth in retail turnover for the first four months of this year was due to the increased retail sales of the foodstuffs by 3,7% - up to 2 billion 445 million leis (USD 191.3 million) and sales of the consumer goods by 9,6% - up to 4 billion 572.2 million leis (USD 357,7 million).

The share of the foodstuffs accounted for 34.8% of the total retail sales for the period and the share of non-foodstuffs-for 65,2% of the total retail sales. In January-April 2010, the volume of retail trade at the mixed ownership enterprises (with foreign capital) increased by 11,6%, and in private companies- by 7%, respectively.

At the same time, the sales at mixed (public and private) trading companies have reduced by 13.9% and sales at the state companies- by 0,1%, accordingly. The largest share in the total cost of retail sales in January-April 2010 accounted for Chisinau - 60,2%, Balti - 7,5% and Gagauzia - 2,7%. As of May 1, 2010, the stocks at the warehouses amounted to 6 billion 039.3 million leis, or 7.9% more as compared to the same period of 2009.

As it was reported before, in 2009 the volume of retail trade in Moldova amounted to 19.9 billion leis (\\$ 1,6 billion), decreasing by 4,4% compared with 2008.