Retail turnover slightly up

Dutch retailers generated an almost 1 percent higher turnover in January this year than twelve months previously. Retail prices were 2 percent up. Petrol stations largely accounted for the increase in turnover and prices.

The shopping-day pattern was less favourable in January 2011 than in January 2010. After a rough correction for this effect, retail turnover was more than 2 percent higher than one year previously.

Shops in the non-food sector generated approximately the same turnover as one year previously. Consumer electronics shops and household appliances shops achieved good results. Home furnishing shops and clothing shops also generated more turnover than twelve months previously, but chemist shops and textile supermarkets faced considerable turnover losses. DIY sales were also down on January 2010.

Shops in the food sector faced a turnover loss of nearly 2 percent from one year previously. The less favourable shopping-day pattern affected turnover in this sector. The downturn in sales was more dramatic for specialised shops than for supermarkets.

Retail turnover

More figures can be found in dossier Business cycle.