Again higher turnover in retail trade

According to the latest preliminary figures by Statistics Netherlands, turnover in the Dutch retail trade in April 2006 was up by 5.0 percent on April 2005. The turnover for retailers in the non-food sector saw a particularly robust increase. Retail turnover has been on the rise since the second half of 2005. Before that, the Dutch retail trade saw mostly losses for two and a half years. Retail prices in April were 0.4 percent higher than in April 2005. The turnover volume was up by 4.6 percent. 

Another substantial turnover increase in non-food

Stores in the non-food sector keep performing well. In April they generated 6.6 percent more turnover than in April 2005. Prices were slightly lower than the year before, while turnover volume was 6.9 percent higher.

Virtually all branches in the non-food sector saw their turnover increase. Home furnishings stood out with a turnover increase of more than 9 percent. There were also substantial rises in the turnovers of stores selling household articles and consumer electronics.

Food stores generated 2.5 percent more turnover in April of this year than in April 2005. This is mainly due to a 1.5 percent price rise and a 0.9 percent higher turnover volume.

Recovery in turnover continues

Turnover in the retail trade has been increasing for the ninth month in a row, compared to the corresponding month of the previous year. There had not been such a long period of uninterrupted turnover increases since the start of 2003.