Retail turnover over 3 percent up in October

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© CBS / Nikki van Toorn
Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports that the Dutch retail sector achieved 3.3 percent turnover growth in October year-on-year, while the volume of sales increased by 2.6 percent. Turnover grew by almost 3 percent in the food sector and by 2 percent in the non-food sector. Furthermore, online sales increased by over 14 percent.

Retail turnover data have been adjusted for changes in the shopping-day pattern. Retail sales tend to vary from one day to the next. If the shopping-day pattern is not taken into account, retail turnover in October was 5.2 percent higher than in the same month last year.

Turnover retail sector* (adjusted for shopping days)
 monthchange (year-on-year % change)
2014January1
2014February1.6
2014March2
2014April1.9
2014May0.1
2014June0.7
2014July0
2014August2.6
2014September-1.3
2014October2
2014November2.9
2014December1.8
2015January1.4
2015February2.4
2015March1.4
2015April1.6
2015May1.4
2015June4
2015July2.9
2015August1
2015September5
2015October2.4
2015November1.1
2015December2.8
2016January1.5
2016February2.2
2016March1.5
2016April0.8
2016May3.5
2016June1.4
2016July2.8
2016August2.1
2016September0.4
2016October5.2
2016November5
2016December2.3
2017January5
2017February2.9
2017March4.6
2017April4.3
2017May3.8
2017June4.5
2017July4.5
2017August4.5
2017September5.8
2017October1.5
2017November5.4
2017December3.7
2018January3.7
2018February2.9
2018March1.5
2018April5.8
2018May3.6
2018June3
2018July3.9
2018August3.4
2018September1.7
2018October3.3
*excluding petrol stations and pharmacies

Turnover non-food sector increased by 2 percent

Turnover in the non-food sector increased by 2 percent in October. The volume of sales (adjusted for price changes) was 1.3 percent up year-on-year.

Shops selling recreational goods, shops selling DIY products, kitchens and flooring, clothes shops and shops selling consumer electronics and white goods recorded turnover growth in October.

Turnover generated by shops selling personal care products and shops selling furniture was about the same as in October 2017. However, turnover of shops selling footwear and leather products recorded turnover losses in October year-on-year.

Almost 3 percent higher turnover for food sector

Shops selling food, beverages and tobacco achieved 2.7 percent turnover growth in October. The volume of sales rose by 1.7 percent. Supermarkets saw 2.9 percent turnover growth and specialist shops 1.3 percent.

Turnover branches retail sector* (adjusted for shopping days)
 September 2018 (year-on-year % change)October 2018 (year-on-year % change)
Total food3.72.7
Supermarkets4.12.9
Specialised shops1.11.3
Total non-food-0.82
Recreational goods-3.14
DIY shops, kitchens, floors2.93.5
Clothing-31.7
Consumer electronics, white goods-4.90.7
Chemist's shops00
Furniture, home furnishings1-0.1
Footwear and leather goods -10.4-0.8
* excluding petrol stations and pharmacies

Online shops realise over 14 percent turnover growth

In October, online shops saw their turnover go up by over 14 percent year-on-year. Web shops recorded a turnover increase of almost 7 percent; their core activity is selling goods and services over the Internet. Multi-channel retailers (retailers selling goods and services over the Internet as a side activity) achieved almost 28 percent higher turnover in online sales.

The figures presented in this news release are provisional and can be adjusted.