Retail turnover up by 1.5 percent in December

These are the most recent figures on this topic. View the previous figures here.
© CBS / Nikki van Toorn
Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports that retail turnover was 1.5 percent higher in December 2024 than it was in December 2023. Sales volume was up by 0.3 percent. Turnover in the non-food sector (including retail not in shops) increased by 4.6 percent, while turnover in the food sector (shops selling food, beverages and tobacco) decreased by 4.0 percent. Meanwhile, online retail turnover increased by 12.5 percent year on year.

Now that the December figure is known, the full-year figure can be provided as well. The Dutch retail sector achieved 2.1 percent higher turnover growth in 2024 compared to 2023.

The figures for retail turnover have been adjusted for calendar days in December, because more is sold on certain days of the week than on other days. Without such an adjustment, retail turnover in December 2024 would have been 0.1 percent higher than one year previously.

Turnover retail sector* (calendar adjusted)
 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
2023January11.2
2023February7.9
2023March4.9
2023April4.5
2023May5
2023June7.5
2023July4
2023August5.8
2023September3.8
2023October4.6
2023November3.3
2023December 3.2
2024January2.4
2024February3.4
2024March4.3
2024April2
2024May2.4
2024June-0.8
2024July1.8
2024August2.2
2024September2.6
2024October2.2
2024November1.9
2024December1.5
*excluding petrol

Turnover in non-food sector up by almost 5 percent

Turnover in the non-food sector was up by 4.6 percent in December, year on year. Sales volume (turnover adjusted for price changes) was up by 4.8 percent on December 2023.

Shops selling DIY products (including kitchens and flooring), shops selling recreational goods and those selling home furnishings saw year-on-year turnover growth in December. Turnover of clothes shops remained the same, while shops selling consumer electronics and white good, shops selling footwear and leather products, and chemists recorded a decrease in turnover.

Turnover in food sector down by 4.0 percent

Turnover in shops selling food, beverages and tobacco was down by 4.0 percent in December, year on year. Sales volume was 8.2 percent lower. Turnover in supermarkets was down by 5.7 percent, while turnover in specialty shops was up by 5.6 percent.

Turnover branches retail sector* (calendar adjusted)
 December 2024 (year-on-year % change)November 2024 (year-on-year % change)
Total food-4-2.3
Specialist shops5.65.1
Supermarkets-5.7-3.3
Total non-food4.64.2
DIY products, kitchens, flooring93.8
Recreational goods3.37.4
Furniture and household articles0.3-5.8
Clothes02.7
Consumer electronics-0.84.7
Shoes and leather products-1.50.2
Personal care products-2.93.8
* excluding petrol stations

Online turnover 12.5 percent higher

Turnover among online retailers was up by 12.5 percent in December, year on year. Online retailers (whose core activity is selling goods and services over the internet) recorded an increase in turnover of 15.6 percent. Meanwhile, multi-channel retailers (retailers selling goods and services over the internet as a secondary activity) saw turnover in their online sales incline by 0.8 percent.

Online turnover for consumer electronics, for other non-food products, for clothing and fashion items and for food and personal care products was higher in December 2024 than it was one year previously.

Online turnover by subsector
 December 2024 (year-on-year % change)November 2024 (year-on-year % change)
Total 12.51.7
Consumer electronics20.51.1
Other non-food products13.2-1.2
Clothing and fashion products9.0-3.7
Food and personal care products8.910.5

Retail turnover over 2 percent higher in 2024

In 2024, retail turnover, adjusted for shopping days, was 2.1 percent higher than one year previously. That was the lowest growth rate in ten years. Sales volume was up by 1.4 percent on 2023. Non-food shops achieved 3.9 percent growth, while turnover of food shops was 1.0 percent lower.

Online turnover was 5.8 percent higher than it was in 2023. Online retailers recorded an increase in turnover of 9.0 percent. Meanwhile, multi-channel retailers saw turnover in their online sales rise by 1.4 percent.

Turnover retail sector* (calendar adjusted), year
YearTurnover (%)
2010-0.5
20110
2012-1.4
2013-2.1
20141.3
20152.3
20162.4
20174.2
20183.4
20193.3
20205.8
20214.5
20227.5
20235.6
20242.1
*excluding petrol stations