Retail turnover 2 percent up

• Volume of retail turnover nearly unchanged
• Turnover in supermarkets more than 12 percent up
•  Lower turnover for non-food retailers

According to figures from Statistics Netherlands, Dutch retailers booked 2.3 percent more turnover in January this year than in the same month last year. Prices rose by 2.2 percent, while the volume remained about the same. Supermarkets accounted for most of the turnover increase. Turnover in non-food shops was down on twelve months previously.
The shopping-day pattern in January had a positive effect on retail turnover. After correction for this effect, the increase in January comes to 1 percent.

Within retail trade, supermarkets reported the highest increase. Their turnover was 12 percent higher than in January 2008. Prices in supermarkets were nearly 6 percent higher, while the volume of sales was up nearly 7 percent. After a correction for shopping-day effects the volume growth was substantially smaller.

Turnover in non-food shops was about 3 percent lower in January 2009 than twelve months previously. This was mainly the result of a smaller volume of sales. The only shops in non-food whose turnover increased were chemists and clothes shops.