MADRID, 7 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The level of merchandise stocks in the commerce sector registered a year-on-year increase of 16.1% in the first quarter, a rate 3.7 points lower than that of the previous quarter and the least pronounced since the second quarter of 2022, according to the survey current situation on stocks and inventories (ECSE) published this Wednesday by the National Institute of Statistics (INE).

With the rebound in the first quarter, the stock of merchandise in commerce accumulates seven quarters of positive interannual rates, the highest in this period being that of the fourth quarter of 2022 (19.8%).

The greatest increase in stock in the first quarter was experienced by the sale and repair of motor vehicles, with a year-on-year rise of 28.2%, followed by wholesale trade (14.9%) and retail trade (11.7%). .

The INE also provides information on how the level of stocks in trade evolved in each of the months of the first quarter (January, February and March) in interannual rates.

In January 2023, the stock of merchandise in the sector rebounded by 17.7% compared to the same month in 2022, while in February it increased by 15.3% year-on-year and in March, 15.2%, its lowest monthly year-on-year increase since June 2022.

All sectors presented year-on-year increases in the months corresponding to the first quarter, being the sale and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles the most pronounced, higher than 26% in all months of the quarter.

For its part, the more moderate year-on-year increases for each month of the first quarter occurred in retail trade, with year-on-year increases in its stock of 12.3% in January, 10.9% in February and 11.9%. in March.