Slightly slower growth for retail turnover

According to provisional figures from Statistics Netherlands, retail turnover was 1.9 percent higher in July 2006 than in the same month last year. This is lower than in June, when turnover rose by 6.5 percent. However, turnover in July was negatively affected by the shopping day composition, while this was very favourable in June. In addition, the warm weather in July had an adverse effect on turnover. 

Lower turnover for both food and non-food

Turnover in food shops was 1.4 percent higher than in July 2005. Prices were 1.2 percent higher than twelve months previously, while the volume of sales rose by 0.2 percent. Turnover in non-food increased by 1.5 percent. Here prices were 0.4 percent higher, and the volume increased by 1.1 percent.

In nearly all branches of food and non-food the increase in turnover was smaller in July. Only shops selling clothes and textile supermarkets did better than in June. Following substantial turnover increases in the first half of this year, shops selling home furnishings and consumer electronics had lower turnover levels in July. Specialist food and drink shops also had a lower turnover than twelve months previously.