Retail turnover 5 percent up in January

Retail turnover data have been adjusted for changes in the shopping-day pattern. Retail sales tend to vary by day. If the shopping-day pattern is not taken into account, retail turnover would be over 3 percent higher than in January 2015.

Turnover non-food sector 5 percent up

In January, turnover in the non-food sector rose by 5 percent relative to one year previously. Volume was 3.9 percent up on the previous year.

Turnover rose for shops selling clothes, DIY, kitchen design, flooring, furniture and household appliances. Also shops selling recreational goods and drugstores and perfume shops had a higher turnover. In December these shops saw a turnover decline. For the first time since July 2015, turnover in traditional consumer electronic shops was up by almost 1 percent in January 2016.

Turnover was down year-on-year for shoe shops and shops selling leather products, just as in the two previous months.

Four months of rising turnover for clothing shops

Since October 2016, clothing shops have achieved a turnover increase each month. Turnover growth amounted to nearly 16 percent in October 2016, over 9 percent in November and nearly 5 percent in December. It was nearly 8 percent in January 2017, the highest turnover growth in January since 2006.

Also turnover growth for food shops

In January, shops selling food, drinks and tobacco had a 2.5 percent higher turnover while the volume of sales rose by 1 percent. For supermarkets, turnover grew by 2.6 percent and for specialist food shops by 1.7 percent.

Strong growth in online turnover

Online turnover grew by 17.2 percent relative to January 2016. Web shops recorded a surge in turnover of 14.4 percent; their core activity is selling through the internet. Multi-channelers (retailers selling goods and services over the internet and in the traditional manner) realised a turnover growth of 20.8 percent.