Modest retail turnover growth in September
September 2016 had a Thursday and a Friday more and a Tuesday and a Wednesday less than September 2015. After correction for the shopping-day pattern, retail turnover would turn out lower than one year previously.
Strong turnover growth in food shops
Shops selling food, beverages and tobacco achieved turnover growth of 5.1 percent year-on-year. The boost was mainly due to the shopping-day pattern. This contributed to a growth in sales of 4.3 percent. Prices rose by 0.7 percent year-on-year. Specialist shops recorded slightly a stronger turnover increase compared to supermarkets.
Turnover loss in non-food sector
Non-food shops were hit by a turnover loss of 3.4 percent, primarily due to weaker sales. The volume decreased by 3.7 percent year-on-year while prices rose by 0.3 percent.
September having relatively mild weather made for slack sales at clothes shops. Shops selling outerwear had 9.3 percent lower turnover than one year previously. In July and August, clothes shops had seen turnover grow by 7.5 and 3.5 percent respectively. In shops selling consumer electronics as well, turnover was down, although decline was not as significant as in previous months.
On the other hand, chemists and DIY shops achieved turnover growth, as did home furnishing shops, although August was better with a growth in turnover of nearly 10 percent.
| August 2016 | September 2016 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total food sector | 1.4 | 5.1 |
| Specialist food shops | 0.8 | 5.3 |
| Supermarkets | 1.5 | 5 |
| Total non-food sector | 0.6 | -3.4 |
| DIY shops | 7.6 | 5.6 |
| Chemists | 1.2 | 2.2 |
| Home furnishing shops | 9.7 | 0.9 |
| Consumer electronics | -6.6 | -2.7 |
| Outerwear | 3.5 | -9.3 |
Online revenues up yet again
Online retailers realised a 11.2 percent growth surge relative to one year earlier. Web shops recorded a growth in turnover of 14.1 percent; their core activity is selling over the internet. As for shops which sell online as a side activity (multi-channelers), their online turnover surged by 7.1 procent.
Sources
- StatLine - Retail trade; turnover change