The third-quarter Business sentiment indicator (BSI), based on expectations of managers in the retail sector, fell by 9.9 points from the same period of 2008, and was 2.3 points down from the previous quarter, Statistics Office data showed.
The biggest challenges facing retail managers in the first quarter were weak demand (32.6%) and increased costs (20.7%).
The Statistics Office releases monthly data for the BSI in the manufacturing industry, and quarterly data for the BSI in the construction and retail sectors.