Retailers face turnover loss of nearly 8 percent

• Turnover slump non-food sector in 2009
• Turnover supermarkets marginally down

In August 2009, retail turnover was 7.7 percent down on one year previously. Volume shrank by 7.1 percent, while prices dropped 0.7 percent. According to the latest figures released by Statistics Netherlands, the price drop was entirely caused by lower fuel prices.

Retail turnover was affected negatively by the amount of shopping days. August 2009 had an extra Monday and a Friday less than last year’s August. After correction for this effect, turnover is in fact nearly 6 percent lower.

Just like in the preceding months, turnover was substantially (more than 11 percent) lower in the non-food sector. Turnover slumped by over 15 percent relative to August 2008 in consumer electronics shops, clothes shops and textile supermarkets.

Shops selling food, drinks and tobacco products also faced turnover loss. Turnover of specialised food shops was nearly 8 percent down on last year, supermarkets had a turnover loss of more than 1 percent. As a result, total turnover of the food sector was more than 2 percent lower. After correction for the number of shopping days, food shops achieved a small turnover growth due to higher prices.