Retail turnover down

In October 2011, Dutch retailers faced a turnover loss of nearly 2 percent compared to October 2010. The prices of articles sold were up by 3 percent, whereas the retail volume shrank by 4.5 percent.

Retail turnover is strongly affected by the shopping-day pattern. With a Friday less and a Monday more, the shopping-day pattern was less favourable than in October 2010. The negative effect on turnover is estimated at approximately 1.5 percent.

Shops in the non-food sector suffered a turnover loss of nearly 5 percent. Turnover of consumer electronics shops, textile supermarkets, clothes shops and home furnishing shops declined most. Turnover realised by DIY, household appliance and chemist’s shops also declined, but to a lesser extent.

Shops selling food, drinks and tobacco generated roughly the same turnover as the year before. Supermarket sales grew by 1 percent, whereas turnover for specialist shops fell 6 percent below the level of October 2010.

Petrol stations achieved a turnover growth of almost 6 percent. Petrol prices were more than 10 percent higher than twelve months previously. The retail sector includes traditional shops and petrol stations, as well as mail-order companies and online stores. The latter saw their year-on-year turnover fall by 2 percent.

Retail turnover

More figures can be found in dossier Business cycle.