Retail sales at large stores rise 4.8% in May

Overall retail sales grew 9.2% year‑on‑year in May, driven largely by a 42.4% jump in fuel sales. Food items showed little change, while non‑food products rose 11.8% and the “other” category increased 7.8% after stripping out inflation effects. Large‑surface retail outlets recorded a 4.8% increase in sales at current prices and a 1.3% rise when adjusted for inflation. Employment in the sector also improved, with the labour index up 5.2% YoY; women constitute about two‑thirds of the workforce and full‑time contracts remain dominant.

The data underscore the strong contribution of fuel price spikes to the retail surge, while food sales remained flat. The modest month‑on‑month gain of 0.9% suggests the growth is primarily annual rather than short‑term.