Business sales remain robust
![Business sales remain robust](https://www.ekathimerini.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/ekptoseis-960x600.jpg)
The fall in sales in the business sector in the first quarter of the year by 1.6% is due to the negative effect of the comparison base with the highly volatile year of 2023 and conceals the real positive sales momentum, which amounts to 3% excluding inflation, the National Bank maintains in a study by its Economic Analysis Directorate.
The study argues that “the real dynamics of the sector remain positive and are expected to strengthen later in the year,” while “the importance of sectors linked to the transformation of the economy and the strengthening of extroversion remains pivotal.”
In fact, the analysts predict that the business sector in 2024 can increase its sales by about 3.5%, reaching 6.5% in the second half (compared to +0.9% in the first half).