Swiss retail sales Nominal -2.4 percent, Real -1.3 percent against last year

02.05.2016 09:15  – FSO, Economic Surveys (0353-1604-60)

Retail trade turnover in March 2016

Swiss retail trade turnover falls by 2.4%

Neuchâtel, 02.05.2016 (FSO) – Turnover in the retail sector fell by 2.4% in nominal terms in March 2016 compared with the previous year. This decline has been ongoing since January 2015. Seasonally adjusted, nominal turnover fell by 0.1% compared with the previous month. These are provisional findings from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

Real turnover in the retail sector also adjusted for sales days and holidays fell by 1.3% in March 2016 compared with the previous year. Real growth takes inflation into consideration. Compared with the previous month, real, seasonally adjusted retail trade turnover registered a decline of 0.3%.

Retail sector excluding service stations: Food products positive once again

Adjusted for sales days and holidays, the retail sector excluding service stations showed a 2.1% decrease in nominal turnover in March 2016 compared with March 2015 (in real terms -1.4%). Retail sales of food, drinks and tobacco registered an increase in nominal turnover of 1.5% (in real terms +1.6%), whereas the non-food sector registered a nominal negative of 5.7% (in real terms -3.8%).

Excluding service stations, the retail sector showed a seasonally adjusted decline in nominal turnover of 0.3% compared with the previous month (in real terms -0.4%). Retail sales of food, drinks and tobacco registered a nominal minus of 0.3% (in real terms -0.1%). The non-food sector showed a minus of 1.6% (in real terms -1.6%).