Retail turnover almost 6 percent higher in August

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© CBS
Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports for August 2023 that the Dutch retail sector recorded 5.9 percent year-on-year turnover growth. The volume of sales decreased by 2.1 percent. Turnover was up by 6.3 percent in the food sector and by 4.3 percent in the non-food sector. Furthermore, online retail turnover increased by 3.6 percent year on year.

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 2023 was 6.8 percent higher than in the same month last year.

Turnover retail sector* (adjusted for shopping days)
 monthchange (year-on-year % change)
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
2022February16
2022March9.3
2022April9
2022May2.1
2022June1.5
2022July5.9
2022August2.7
2022September6
2022October5
2022November6.8
2022December11.9
2023January12
2023February8
2023March4.7
2023April5.4
2023May5
2023June7.8
2023July4.6
2023August5.9
*excluding petrol stations and pharmacies

Turnover in non-food sector over 4 percent up

In August, turnover in the non-food sector grew by 4.3 percent year on year. The volume of sales (turnover adjusted for price changes) decreased by 2.5 percent compared to the same month last year.

Shops selling personal care products, clothes shops, shops selling furniture and home furnishings, shops selling footwear and leather products and those selling DIY products saw year-on-year turnover growth in August. Shops selling recreational goods and those selling consumer electronics and white goods, on the other hand, recorded a decrease in August.

Turnover of food shops over 6 percent up

Shops selling food, beverages and tobacco achieved 6.3 percent higher turnover in August than in the same month last year. The volume of sales, however, was 3.2 percent lower. Turnover at supermarkets and specialist shops was up by 6.7 and 3.0 percent, respectively.

Turnover branches retail sector* (adjusted for shopping days)
 August 2023 (year-on-year % change)July 2023 (year-on-year % change)
Total food6.36.5
Supermarkets6.76.9
Specialist shops33.7
Total non-food4.32.4
Personal care products6.87.4
Clothes5.2-1.3
Furniture and household articles4.53.6
Shoes and leather products4.2-2.5
DIY products, kitchens, flooring0.3-1.5
Recreational goods-0.55.6
Consumer electronics-0.5-0.2
* excluding petrol stations and pharmacies

Online turnover 3.6 percent higher

In August, online turnover was up by 3.6 percent year on year. Web shops recorded a turnover increase of 4.2 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 2.6 percent higher turnover in online sales.

Online turnover of food and personal care products was higher in August 2023 than in August 2022. Online turnover of consumer electronics, clothing and fashion items, and other non-food products was lower.

Online turnover by subsector
 August 2023 (year-on-year % change)July 2023 (year-on-year % change)
Total 3.61.4
Food and personal care products22.216.8
Clothing and fashion products-0.6-13.7
Other non-food products-1.60.6
Consumer electronics-7.2-8.3

The figures in this post are preliminary and subject to revision.