Sweden's retail trade increased 3 percent year-on-year in February 2019, following a downwardly revised 1.7 percent growth in the previous month and beating market expectations of 2.8 percent. It was the biggest annual gain in retail trade since May last year, boosted by sales of information and communication equipment (12.1 percent vs 0.3 percent); other household equipment (4.1 percent vs -0.4 percent); and other goods (6.9 percent vs 3.9 percent). Meanwhile, sales of cultural and recreation goods rose at a slower pace (1 percent vs 6.4 percent), while trade was lower via mail order houses or via internet (-10 percent vs -8.9 percent). Retail Sales YoY in Sweden averaged 2.82 percent from 1992 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 11 percent in May of 2000 and a record low of -7.70 percent in December of 1992.
Retail Sales YoY in Sweden is expected to be 2.50 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. Looking forward, we estimate Retail Sales YoY in Sweden to stand at 2.00 in 12 months time. In the long-term, the Sweden Retail Sales YoY is projected to trend around 2.70 percent in 2020, according to our econometric models.