Retail sales in Hungary grew a calendar-adjusted 1.1% in November 2011 from a year earlier and were up 0.2% from October according to data adjusted for seasonal and calendar effects, the Central Statistics Office (KSH) said on Wednesday.

The year-on-year rise was the biggest increase so far last year although it was from a low base. The monthly rise came after two months of stagnation.

Unadjusted retail sales were worth HUF 686.3bn in November, down from HUF 708.1bn in October.

January-November retail sales were up 0.1% from a year earlier.

Retail sales were down 2.3% in volume terms in 2010 after dropping 5.1% in 2009 adjusted for calendar effects. Last time they grew was in 2006.

Car and car part sales, which, in line with EU methodology, are not part of the retail statistics, rose for the first time in many months, by 1.4% yr/yr in November. January-November car and car part sales were down 5.7% from a year earlier.

Sales of vehicle fuel, which is included in retail statistics, continued to drop yr/yr and they fell 4.9% yr/yr in November, the calendar-adjusted figures show. Fuel sales dropped a seasonally and workday-adjusted 1.1% on the month after a 3.1% drop in October and a 0.7% rise in September.

Turnover in shops selling food, beverages and tobacco rose an adjusted 0.1% on the month and were up 1.0% yr/yr in November. They grew 0.3% in January-November from a year earlier.

Non-food sales were up 0.6% on the month and rose 3.7% yr/yr in November, and were up 0.8% yr/yr in the first eleven months.

Within the non-food segment, sales were up on the month everywhere except for a 1.2% drop in nonspecialised stores and a 4.7% drop in sales on mail order.

The biggest month-on-month increases were registered in the retail sale of pharmaceuticals and medical goods (2.3%), second-hand stores (1.8%), books, newspapers and paper goods (1.4%) and textiles, clothing and footwear (1.4%).

Furniture and construction material rose for the second month in a row, by 0.4% m-o-m in November, and they were up 3.4% yr/yr although eleven months sales were still 1.7% below year-earlier levels.