Overall picture retail trade remains negative

• February’s retail turnover 4.0 percent down
• DIY shops still performing poorly

The latest figures released by Statistics Netherlands show that retail turnover was 4.0 percent lower in February 2010 than in the same month last year. The downward trend has now continued for an uninterrupted period of 13 months. Retail volume was reduced by 5.0 percent, retail prices were 1.0 percent lower.

Turnover in the non-food sector decreased by nearly 6 percent relative to February 2009. DIY shops performed poorly as sales dropped by 11 percent. Household appliances shops also achieved poor results. Within the non-food sector, only chemist shops managed to realise a modest turnover growth.

Supermarkets faced loss of turnover in February 2010, just as in the preceding month. Supermarket sales were more than 2 percent down on February 2009. Prices fell by more than 1 percent, sales by 1 percent. Specialised shops lost nearly 6 percent of their turnover.

Turnover realised by petrol stations fell marginally by nearly 2 percent compared to one year previously, although fuel prices were considerably higher than twelve months ago.