Retail turnover almost 2 percent up in August

More recent figures are available on this topic. View the latest figures here.
© CBS / Alrik Swagerman
Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports for August 2022 that the Dutch retail sector recorded 1.7 percent year-on-year turnover growth. The volume of sales, however, went down by 6.0 percent. Turnover in the food sector was up by 7.7 percent, while turnover in the non-food sector was down by 2.5 percent. Furthermore, online retail turnover decreased by 0.4 percent.

Retail turnover data have been adjusted for the shopping-day pattern in August. Retail sales tend to vary from one day to the next. If the shopping-day pattern is not taken into account, retail turnover in August 2022 was 3.7 percent higher than in the same month last year.

Turnover retail sector* (adjusted for shopping days)
 monthchange (year-on-year % change)
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
2019January1.5
2019February4.1
2019March4.1
2019April1.9
2019May2.6
2019June3.1
2019July3
2019August2.9
2019September4.4
2019October3.6
2019November2.4
2019December5.2
2020January3.5
2020February4.9
2020March3.4
2020April-1
2020May8.6
2020June10.2
2020July9.2
2020August10.2
2020September7.3
2020October7.2
2020November10.1
2020December-3.4
2021January-6.1
2021February-2.8
2021March6.6
2021April9.7
2021May9.5
2021June5.6
2021July2.8
2021August3.3
2021September4.2
2021October6.8
2021November5.3
2021December6.4
2022January18.1
2022February15.3
2022March8.4
2022April8.3
2022May1.5
2022June0.7
2022July5.1
2022August1.7
2022
*excluding petrol stations and pharmacies

Turnover in non-food sector 2.5 percent lower

In August, turnover in the non-food sector was down by 2.5 percent year on year. The volume of sales (adjusted for price changes) fell by 8.1 percent compared to the same month last year.

Shops selling personal care products and shops selling recreational goods saw turnover growth. However, shops selling consumer electronics and white goods, shops selling furniture and home furnishings, shops selling DIY products, kitchens and flooring, clothes shops and shops selling footwear and leather products had lower turnover than twelve months previously.

Turnover of food shops almost 8 percent up

Shops selling food, beverages and tobacco achieved 7.7 percent higher turnover in August 2022 than in the same month last year. The volume of sales, however, was 2.8 percent lower. Turnover at supermarkets was up by 8.9 percent, while turnover at specialist shops was down by 1.1 percent.

Turnover branches retail sector* (adjusted for shopping days)
 August 2022 (year-on-year % change)July 2022 (year-on-year % change)
Total food7.77.3
Supermarkets8.97.9
Specialist shops-1.13.1
Total non-food-2.53.6
Personal care products8.312.3
Recreational goods1.33.1
Consumer electronics-2-1.6
DIY products, kitchens, flooring-4-2.4
Clothes-6.413.7
Shoes and leather products-8.98.3
Furniture and household articles-10.2-6.6
* excluding petrol stations and pharmacies

Online turnover 0.4 percent lower

In August, online turnover was down by 0.4 percent year on year. Web shops recorded a turnover decrease of 2.6 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 2.7 percent higher turnover in online sales.

Online turnover of food and personal care products was higher in August compared to August 2021. Online turnover of the other subsectors was slightly lower than twelve months previously.

Online turnover by subsector
 August 2022 (year-on-year % change)July 2022 (year-on-year % change)
Total -0.43.7
Food and personal care products5.75.3
Clothing and fashion products-1.926.9
Consumer electronics-1.9-7.0
Other non-food products-2.40.5