Retail sales, excluding VAT, increased a working-day adjusted 12.4% year-on-year in July, after a 15.5% rise in June.

Sales of non-food stores surged 16.2% annually in July and those in specialized stores accelerated 37.2%.

Sales in non-specialized stores and those of food, alcoholic beverages and tobacco increased by 6.6% and 7.1%, respectively. On a month-on-month basis, retail sales declined a seasonally adjusted 0.9% in July.