Retail turnover nearly 5 percent up in October

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© Hollandse Hoogte / Patricia Rehe
Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports for October 2023 that the Dutch retail sector recorded 4.7 percent year-on-year turnover growth. The volume of sales remained virtually the same. Turnover in the food sector increased by 6.0 percent, while in the non-food sector it rose by 2.4 percent. Furthermore, online retail turnover increased by 2.9 percent year on year.

Retail turnover data have been adjusted for the shopping-day pattern in October, as these may vary from one day to the next. If the shopping-day pattern is not taken into account, retail turnover in October 2023 was 3.9 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
2023April5.4
2023May5
2023June7.8
2023July4.5
2023August6
2023September3
2023October4.7
*excluding petrol stations and pharmacies

Turnover in non-food sector over 2 percent up

In October, turnover in the non-food sector was up by 2.4 percent year on year. Sales volume (turnover adjusted for price changes) was down 0.6 percent from the same month last year.

Drugstores, shops selling footwear and leather products, shops selling recreational goods, clothes shops and those selling furniture and home furnishings saw year-on-year turnover growth in October. On the other hand, shops selling consumer electronics and white goods and those selling DIY products, recorded a decrease in turnover in October.

Turnover of food shops 6 percent up

Shops selling food, beverages and tobacco recorded 6.0 percent higher turnover in October than in the same month last year. Sales volume was 1.3 percent lower. Turnover at supermarkets and specialist shops was up by 6.4 and 3.2 percent, respectively.

Turnover branches retail sector* (adjusted for shopping days)
 October 2023 (year-on-year % change)September 2023 (year-on-year % change)
Total food67.2
Supermarkets6.47.5
Specialist shops3.24.6
Total non-food2.4-2.5
Personal care products6.67.9
Shoes and leather products5-15.5
Recreational goods3.9-0.5
Clothes3.6-9.1
Furniture and household articles2-3.2
DIY products, kitchens, flooring-3.7-4.1
Consumer electronics-4.3-2
* excluding petrol stations and pharmacies

Online turnover nearly 3 percent higher

In October, online turnover was up by 2.9 percent year on year. Web shops recorded a turnover increase of 5.1 percent; their core activity is selling goods and services over the internet. However, multi-channel retailers (retailers selling goods and services over the internet as a side activity) recorded virtually the same turnover in online sales.

Online turnover of food and personal care products and other non-food products was higher in October 2023 than it was in one year previously, while that of consumer electronics and clothing and fashion items was lower.

Online turnover by subsector
 October 2023 (year-on-year % change)September 2023 (year-on-year % change)
Total 2.9-0.5
Food and personal care products15.515.6
Other non-food products0.3-0.6
Clothing and fashion products-1.8-22.8
Consumer electronics-6.8-4.6

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