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

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

 HÀ NỘI — Total retail sales of goods and services shrank  八. 三 per cent month-on-month in July to VNĐ 三 三 九. 四 trillion (US$ 一 四. 八 四 billion) as a result of restrictions induced to stem the ongoing COVID- 一 九 outbreak, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO).

The figure was  一 九. 八 per cent lower than a year earlier as 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  二 九.

This month, the transport sector carried an estimated  一 四 六. 三 million passengers and  一 一 一. 五 million tonnes of cargo, down  五0. 四 per cent and  二 四. 三 per cent, respectively, from the same month of last year.

Total retail sales of goods and services in the first seven months of this year exceeded VNĐ 二. 七 九 quadrillion, up 0. 七 per cent year on year. Close to  一. 九 二 billion passengers were transported during the period, down  九. 六 per cent, while cargo transport reached  九 八 七. 四 million tonnes, up  三. 一 per cent.

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