Retail sales marginally down

• Higher prices, sales down
• Shopping-day pattern has negative effect on sales

According to the most recent figures released by Statistics Netherlands, retail sales were 0.7 percent down in July 2011 on the same month last year. Retail volume shrank by 3.5 percent, while prices were 2.9 percent higher.

The less favourable shopping-day pattern had a negative effect on retail turnover. July 2011 had four instead of five Thursdays and five instead of four Sundays compared to July 2010. After correction, turnover growth was approximately 2 percent. Retail volume contracted by nearly 1 percent.

Food, drinks and tobacco shops lost nearly 3 percent of their total turnover in July as volume contracted by approximately 5 percent. Prices were 2 percent higher. The effect of the shopping-day pattern was considerable. After correction for the shopping-day pattern, turnover growth was 1 percent. The loss of turnover for specialist shops was more substantial than for supermarkets.

Turnover in the non-food sector was about 1 percent down on the level of one year previously. Prices were higher, volume shrank. Chemist’s shops, DIY shops and household appliances shops had to cope with loss of turnover, but clothes shops, consumer electronics shops and home furnishing shops realised turnover growth.

Mail-order firms and online shops generated a nearly 7 percent higher turnover. Petrol stations generated 4 percent more turnover, although the volume of sales dropped.