Retail turnover over 3 percent up in May

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© Hollandse Hoogte / Co de Kruijf
Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports that the Dutch retail sector achieved 3.1 percent turnover growth in May 2019. The volume of sales increased by 2.8 percent. Turnover in the non-food sector grew by 3.5 percent, while turnover in the food sector decreased by 0.4 percent. Furthermore, online sales increased by 19.6 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 May 2019 was 4.4 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
2018January3.6
2018February3
2018March1.7
2018April5.7
2018May3.7
2018June3.2
2018July3.8
2018August3.5
2018September1.9
2018October3.4
2018November4.2
2018December2.6
2019January1.8
2019February4.3
2019March4.1
2019April2.2
2019May3.1
*excluding petrol stations and pharmacies

Turnover growth non-food sector 3.5 percent up

Turnover in the non-food sector was up by 3.5 percent in May year-on-year. The volume of sales (adjusted for price changes) increased by 3.6 percent.

Shops selling furniture and household articles achieved the highest turnover growth in May. Turnover of shops selling DIY products, kitchens and flooring and shops selling consumer electronics also increased.

However, turnover generated by shops selling recreational goods, shops selling personal care products, clothes shops and shops selling shoes and leather products was down in May year-on-year.

Turnover food sector down

Shops selling food, beverages and tobacco achieved 0.4 percent less turnover than in May 2018. Turnover of supermarkets hardly changed, while specialist shops saw their turnover decline by over 2 percent. The volume of sales by supermarkets and specialist shops declined year-on-year.

Turnover branches retail sector* (adjusted for shopping days)
 May 2019 (year-on-year % change)April 2019 (year-on-year % change)
Total food-0.40.1
Supermarkets-0.20.5
Specialist shops-2.3-3.2
Total non-food3.51.4
Furniture and household articles12.46.9
DIY products, kitchens, flooring4.73.3
Consumer electronics4.34.5
Recreational goods-0.4-0.4
Personal care products-0.71.3
Clothes-1-3
Shoes and leather products-4.2-4.7
* excluding petrol stations and pharmacies

Online shops realise almost 20 percent turnover growth

In May, online shops saw their turnover go up by 19.6 percent year-on-year. Web shops recorded a turnover increase of 18.8 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 20.8 percent higher turnover in online sales. 

Figures published in this news release are provisional and subject to revision.