July retail sales plunges nearly 20 pct year-on-year due to COVID-19

Illustrative photo. (Source: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) - Total retail sales of goods and services shrank 8.3 percent month-on-month in July to 339.4 trillion VND (14.84 billion USD) as a result of restrictions induced to stem the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO).

The figure was 19.8 percent lower than a year earlier since the fourth coronavirus wave, which forced many southern cities and provinces to impose social distancing, is taking heavy toll on trade, transport and tourism, the GSO said on July 29.

This month, the transport sector carried an estimated 146.3 million passengers and 111.5 million tonnes of cargo, down 50.4 percent and 24.3 percent, respectively, from the same month of last year.

Total retail sales of goods and services in the first seven months of this year exceeded 2.79 quadrillion VND, up 0.7 percent year on year. Close to 1.92 billion passengers were transported during the period, down 9.6 percent, while cargo transport reached 987.4 million tonnes, up 3.1 percent.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade is formulating specific plans to stimulate consumption and sustainably develop the domestic market./.

VNA