No turnover growth for non-food sector

In November 2007, retail trade turnover increased by 3.5 percent relative to the same month one year previously. The volume of retail turnover increased by 2.3 percent. Shop prices were on average 1.2 percent higher than in November 2006. Supermarkets again realised a robust turnover increase. Non-food shops, on the other hand, only realised a marginal turnover increase compared to November 2006, as the latest figures presented by Statistics Netherlands show.

Turnover growth non-food sector stagnates

Turnover of shops in the non-food sector was only 0.7 percent higher in November than in November 2006. This means turnover growth was distinctly lower than over the first ten months of 2007, when turnover increased by an average 4.4 percent. November’s shopping day pattern hardly affected turnover growth in the non-food sector.

Prices of non-food articles were 0.5 percent higher in November than in the same month in 2006. Turnover volume remained virtually unchanged. Within the non-food sector, turnover in clothes shops and textile supermarkets declined noticeably. Consumer electronics shops, on the other hand, recorded a turnover increase in November 2006.

Substantial turnover growth for supermarkets

Food shops achieved an 8.1 percent turnover growth in November relative to November 2006. This result is entirely attributable to supermarkets, which realised a turnover increase of nearly 9.6 percent compared to November 2006. Turnover volume of supermarkets rose by 7.0 percent. Supermarket prices were distinctly higher (+ 2.5 percent) than one year previously.

Turnover of supermarkets was affected positively by the shopping day pattern in November 2007. With nearly 7 percent, turnover growth realised in supermarkets after adjustment for the effect of shopping days is still considerable.