Retail turnover up again

Dutch retail turnover was again higher in 2007 than in the preceding year. The growth rate was 3.7 percent. In 2006 the growth rate was 5.3 percent. The volume of turnover rose by 2.4 percent in 2007, prices were 1.3 percent higher. Turnover rose in both the food and the non-food sectors. The growth in non-food slowed down in the last months of 2007. Within the retail sector, internet retailers realised the highest increase in turnover, according to figures from Statistics Netherlands.

Supermarket takings grow at expense of specialist shops

Food shops booked 3.7 percent more turnover in 2007 than in 2006. Supermarkets in particular had a higher turnover.  Specialist shops in the food, drink and tobacco sector on the other hand hardly managed to increase turnover at all. Last year, an average 85 cents of every euro spent in food shops ended up in a supermarket till.

Growth in non-food slowing down

Turnover in non-food retail outlets also grew by 3.7 percent in 2007. This increase was mainly realised in the first ten months of the year. In the last months non-food turnover showed hardly any growth at all. Within non-food, shops selling clothes and consumer electronics realised the largest growth rates. Turnover of textile supermarkets and chemists remained at around the same level as in 2006.

Increase in turnover of Internet retailers continues strong growth

Companies retailing on the Internet (including mail order companies) also booked a substantial increase in turnover in 2007: 10 percent on 2006. In 2006 turnover was already just over 12 percent higher than in 2005.

Non-food turnover hardly grew in December

Retail turnover was 2.5 percent higher in December 2007 than in the same month in the previous year. Just as in November, shops selling non-food articles realised hardly any more turnover than twelve months previously. Supermarkets did realise a higher turnover, however: they increased turnover by 6 percent.

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