ARMENIAN CONSUMER MARKET GROWS BY 17.3% IN FIRST HALF OF 2006

Noyan Tapan
Aug 09 2006

YEREVAN, AUGUST 9, NOYAN TAPAN. In January-June 2006, the volume of
the Armenian consumer market made 635 bln 920.3 mln drams (about 1
bln 432.7 USD), exceeding the index of the same period of 2005 by
17.3%. According to the RA National Statistical Service, in the first
six months of 2006, trade (whose growth made 16.2% compared with the
first half of 2005) accounted for 67.8% of the consumer market (69.4%
in the same months of 2005) or 431 bln 110.4 mln drams. Services
accounted for 32.2% of the consumer market (30.6% in the first half
of 2005) or 204 bln 809.9 mln drams, with the volume of services
exceeding by 21.1% the index of the first half of 2005. In the first
half of 2006, retail trade accounted for 50.4% of the consumer market
(for 53.5% in 2005) or 320 bln 727.5 mln drams, growing by 12.1%
on the same period of last year.

Car trade accounted for 5.1% (3.7% in 2005) or 32 bln 673.4 mln drams,
exceeding the index of January-June 2005 by 52.5%. The index of car
trade includes both cars and spare parts sold at specialized trade
points and their technical servicing and repair.