Retail turnover almost 5 percent higher in May

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© CBS
Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports for May 2023 that the Dutch retail sector recorded 4.6 percent year-on-year turnover growth. The volume of sales decreased by 5.8 percent. Turnover was up by 8.4 percent in the food sector and by 1.2 percent in the non-food sector. Furthermore, online retail turnover increased by 4.8 percent year on year.

Retail turnover data have been adjusted for the shopping-day pattern in May. Retail sales tend to vary from one day to the next. If the shopping-day pattern is not taken into account, retail turnover in May 2023 was 6.3 percent higher than in the same month last year.

Turnover retail sector* (adjusted for shopping days)
 monthchange (year-on-year % change)
2019January1.5
2019February4.1
2019March4.1
2019April1.9
2019May2.6
2019June3.1
2019July3
2019August2.9
2019September4.4
2019October3.6
2019November2.4
2019December5.2
2020January3.5
2020February4.9
2020March3.4
2020April-1
2020May8.6
2020June10.2
2020July9.2
2020August10.2
2020September7.3
2020October7.2
2020November10.1
2020December-3.4
2021January-6.1
2021February-2.8
2021March6.6
2021April9.7
2021May9.5
2021June5.6
2021July2.8
2021August3.3
2021September4.2
2021October6.8
2021November5.3
2021December6.4
2022January18.1
2022February16
2022March9.3
2022April9
2022May2.1
2022June1.5
2022July5.9
2022August2.7
2022September6
2022October5
2022November6.8
2022December11.9
2023January12
2023February8
2023March4.7
2023April5.3
2023May4.6
*excluding petrol stations and pharmacies

Turnover in non-food sector over 1 percent up

In May, turnover in the non-food sector grew by 1.2 percent year on year. The volume of sales (turnover adjusted for price changes) decreased by 7.5 percent compared to the same month last year.

Shops selling personal care products, shops selling recreational goods, shops selling furniture and home furnishings, shops selling consumer electronics and white goods and those selling footwear and leather products saw year-on-year turnover growth in May. On the other hand, clothes shops and shops selling DIY products, including kitchens and flooring, recorded a decrease in May.

Turnover of food shops over 8 percent up

Shops selling food, beverages and tobacco achieved 8.4 percent higher turnover in May than in the same month last year. The volume of sales, however, was 4.2 percent lower. Turnover at supermarkets and specialist shops was up by 9.1 and 3.2 percent, respectively.

Turnover branches retail sector* (adjusted for shopping days)
 May 2023 (year-on-year % change)April 2023 (year-on-year % change)
Total food8.48.4
Supermarkets9.19.1
Specialist shops3.23
Total non-food1.21.9
Personal care products4.89
Recreational goods2.73.3
Furniture and household articles1.82.9
Consumer electronics1.3-6.6
Shoes and leather products0.9-1.1
DIY products, kitchens, flooring-0.2-2.1
Clothes-1.3-0.7
* excluding petrol stations and pharmacies

Online turnover almost 5 percent higher

In May, online turnover was up by 4.8 percent year on year. Web shops recorded a turnover increase of 5.3 percent; their core activity is selling goods and services over the internet. Multi-channel retailers (retailers selling goods and services over the internet as a side activity) achieved 4.1 percent higher turnover in online sales.

Online turnover of food and personal care products, consumer electronics and other non-food products was higher in May 2023 than in May 2022. Online turnover of clothing and fashion items was lower.

Online omzet naar branche
 May 2023 (%-verandering t.o.v. een jaar eerder)April 2023 (%-verandering t.o.v. een jaar eerder)
Total 4.83.4
Food and personal care products15.58.4
Other non-food products4.05.4
Consumer electronics1.8-6.7
Clothing and fashion products-7.8-3.8

The figures in this post are preliminary and subject to revision.