The value of the Finnish grocery industry was €1.275 billion in January 2017, which is 1.4% higher than the total recorded a year earlier, according to Päivittäistavarakauppa ry, the Finnish Grocery Trade Association.
The association said that the grocery retail price index fell 1.1% in the month, with food and beverage prices declining by 2.4%. Alcoholic beverages and tobacco saw a 5.1% increase in prices year-on-year.
It also noted that price competition between the major grocery operators was strong in January, while consumer confidence in the economy has ‘strengthened considerably’.
Elsewhere, the association said that net sales in department stores and hypermarkets was down in January by 4.0%, with total sales valued at €508.4 million in these sectors. However, this decline is related to the inclusion of the Anttila retail chain in the figures for 2016, but not this year.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
