Retail turnover almost 3 percent down in February

Retail turnover data have been adjusted for changes in the shopping-day pattern. Retail sales tend to vary from one day to the next. If the shopping-day pattern is not taken into account, retail turnover in February 2021 was 5.7 percent lower than in the same month last year.

Turnover in non-food sector over 30 percent lower

In February, turnover in the non-food sector showed an contraction of 30.3 percent year-on-year. The volume of sales (adjusted for price changes) fell by 36.1 percent compared to the same month last year.

Almost all branches in the non-food sector recorded turnover losses. Shops selling clothes, footwear and leather products experienced the largest turnover decline. Retailers selling personal care products were one of the exceptions in the non-food sector. These shops achieved more turnover in February than twelve months previously.

Almost 9 percent higher turnover for food shops

In February 2021, shops selling food, beverages and tobacco achieved 8.7 percent more turnover than in the same month last year. The volume of sales increased by 7.7 percent. Supermarkets saw year-on-year turnover growth of 9.4 percent and specialist shops achieved a growth of 3.8 percent.

Online turnover almost 104 percent higher

In February 2021, online shops recorded 103.7 percent more turnover than in the same month last year. This is the strongest growth since online turnover figures were first published in January 2014, and applies to both web shops and multichannel retailers (retailers selling goods and services over the internet as a side activity). Web shops recorded a turnover increase of 65.1 percent; their core activity is selling goods and services over the internet. Multichannel retailers achieved 162.1 percent higher turnover in online sales.