Индекс объема розничной торговли ОЭСР

About the OECD Retail Sales Index

The OECD Retail Sales Index is an important economic indicator that measures the sales volume of retail businesses in member countries. With 2015 as the base year (100), it tracks changes in retail sales thereafter. Because this index reflects real changes in sales quantity excluding the effects of price changes, it can capture the true dynamics of consumption activity.

This indicator is important for several reasons. First, retail sales directly reflect consumer purchasing activity, and since personal consumption is an important component of economic growth, it is essential for assessing economic trends. Second, by making OECD member statistics comparable using unified standards, it becomes possible to make relative international economic assessments. Third, it functions as a leading indicator that forms the basis for corporate management decisions and central bank monetary policy decisions.

As a general trend, the Retail Sales Index tends to rise during periods of economic expansion and decline during recessions. The sharp drop in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent rapid recovery are a typical example of the volatility of this index. Additionally, with the expansion of online retail, improvements to traditional statistical methods are underway. A notable point is that seasonally adjusted data is important, and understanding annual trends is more effective for policy decisions than month-to-month rates of change.