Turnover opticians dramatically down

Relative to the preceding year, opticians faced an average loss of turnover of 34 percent in 2009. Sales dropped most dramatically in December (63 percent) due to a change in tax regulations to the effect that, since 1 January 2009, tax deduction for glasses and contact lenses was no longer possible. As a result, the amount of glasses sold by the end of 2008 soared. In December 2008, turnover of opticians was more than twice as high as in the same period in 2007.

Retail branches which tend to rely heavily on the last months of the year for their sales did not achieve turnover growth at the end of 2009. In December 2009, turnover of jewellery shops and toy shops was obviously down on December 2008. Jewellers faced 10 percent loss of turnover, toy shops 5 percent. Toy retailers realise approximately 30 percent of their annual turnover in the last two months of the year. For jewellers, this is 20 percent.

Over the year 2009, turnover of toy shops and jewellery shops dropped by 10 and 8 percent respectively. The entire retail sector reported a loss of turnover of nearly 5 percent.

Turnover developments in several retail branches

Hugo de Bondt