Marginal growth retail turnover

• Higher turnover non-food shops
• Turnover food shops down

In August 2010, retail turnover was 0.6 percent up on the same month last year. Retail prices were 1.0 percent higher, turnover volume was 0.5 percent down. The shopping-day pattern in August was less favourable than in August 2009, which had a downward effect on turnover. After the effect of the shopping-day pattern is eliminated, turnover growth was more than 2 percent, according to the latest figures published by Statistics Netherlands.

Turnover of non-food shops was more than 1 percent higher in August than one year previously. After correction for the number of shopping-days, turnover growth approximated 3 percent. Clothes shops and consumer electronics shops in particular achieved far better turnover results in August, whereas chemists faced turnover loss relative to August 2009.

Shops selling food, drinks and tobacco lost more than 1 percent turnover compared to August last year. The loss is entirely due to the shopping-day pattern. After correction, turnover was more than 1 percent higher.