Retail turnover stable in second quarter

• Higher turnover in food sector
• Non-food turnover down 
• June turnover up by more than 2 percent
  
  

Figures released by Statistics Netherlands show that retail turnover was around the same level in the second quarter of 2010 as in the same period last year. This brings the period of decreasing retail turnover to an end. In the five preceding quarters turnover was consistently lower than twelve months previously.

The food sector realised just over 1 percent more turnover in the second quarter than in the same quarter last year. Supermarkets booked 2 percent more turnover, while turnover fell by 4 percent in specialised food shops.

Just as in the previous six quarters, non-food turnover was lower in the second quarter than twelve months previously. Turnover in the non-food sector was down 2.3 percent in the second quarter. The largest losses were for retailers in home furnishings and do-it-yourself items, while there was a notable increase in turnover for shops selling household items.

In the second quarter of 2010 the month of June showed a clearly higher turnover than the same month last year. Turnover was 2.1 percent higher than in June last year. Shops selling consumer electronics and textile supermarkets in particular realised substantially higher turnover levels than twelve months previously.