Retail turnover volume up

The volume of turnover in the retail trade was nearly 3 percent higher in October 2002 than in the same month last year. According to figures from Statistics Netherlands food shops realised the largest volume growth: 4.7 percent. In the non-food sector turnover volume was 2.4 percent higher in October than twelve months previously. October 2002 had a more favourable shopping day pattern than October last year.

Price increases levelling out
The rate of increase of retail prices has slowed down substantially this year. While shop prices were 6 percent higher than twelve months previously in January, by October they were 2.3 percent higher. In food shops in particular the slowdown has been strong: from 7.5 percent higher in January to 1.8 percent higher in October.

Turnover up sharply for textile supermarkets
The value of turnover for textile supermarkets, chemists and clothes shops was considerably higher in October 2002 than in October 2001. For textile supermarkets it rose by as much as 27 percent.

The value of turnover fell for stores selling furnishings and interior decorating items (-6.3 percent) compared with October last year. Turnover in this branch was 0.6 percent higher in the first ten months of this year than in the same period last year.

Higher turnover for supermarkets
The value of turnover for supermarkets was more than 8 percent higher in October than in October last year. Specialist food shops such as butchers and greengrocers, on the other hand, had a lower turnover than twelve months previously.

(source: CBS)

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