Retail sales further down

•  Retail sales drop 0.2 percent in April
•  Consumer electronics sales not perked up by World Championship

In April 2010, retail sales were 0.2 percent down on the same period one year previously. After correction for the number of shopping days, retail sales dropped by 1.2 percent and the positive trend of March 2010 is not maintained. According to the latest figures released by Statistics Netherlands, the volume of retail sales declined by 1.9 percent in April, retail prices rose by 1.7 percent.

Consumer electronics retailers faced loss of turnover of more than 3 percent in April compared to last year. In the preceding years, the demand for consumer electronics – in particular television sets – was boosted in the months prior to the European or World Championships Football. This year, there were no signs of a sales boost in April. Most other branches in the non-food sector also saw sales slip in April. Clothes shops and home furnishing shops suffered most. Textile supermarkets and household appliances retailers managed to realise a small turnover growth. Overall, sales in the non-food sector dropped by 4 percent.

Food, drinks and tobacco retailers saw their turnover grow by 2 percent in April compared to April 2009. Supermarkets realised a turnover growth of nearly 3 percent and entirely accounted for the turnover growth in the branch.

Just as in the previous months, higher fuel prices accounted for the turnover growth of petrol stations. Petrol sales were nearly 10 percent up on April 2009.