Retail trade sales for the three months ended October, decreased by 4,5 percent on the same period last year at constant 2000 prices, Statistics South Africa said on Wednesday.

Last year there was an increase of 3,4 percent on the previous year at constant prices, StatsSA found in its retail trade sales data for October.

In the first 10 months of 2008, retail trade sales decreased by 2,2 percent on the same period last year when there was a 6,6 percent growth at constant prices.

StatsSA said that at current prices, retail trade sales for the three months ended October 2008 increased by 11,6 percent on 2007.

The major contributors to this increase were general dealers (up 5,6 percentage points), retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods (up 2,1 percentage points), retail trade in specialised food, beverages and tobacco stores (up 1,5 percentage points), and all other retailers (up 1,4 percentage points).

Retailers in household furniture, appliances and equipment contributed negatively (down 0,5 of a percentage point) to the change in retail trade sales.

Retail trade sales at current prices for October 2008 increased 13,1 percent compared with October 2007, while sales for the corresponding period in 2007 increased by 10,2 percent.