Retail turnover was 2.2% higher in the Netherlands in November 2024, compared to the same month the previous year, according to new data from Statistics Netherlands (CBS).
Sales volumes were 0.3% higher, the data showed.
Food and non-food turnover
Non-food retail turnover grew by 4.4%, boosted by an increase in sales volumes of 3.2%. Among non-food categories, recreational goods, consumer electronics, white goods, DIY stores, clothing, and drugstores all showed growth, while furniture and home furnishings were down, year-on year.
At the same time, food retail turnover was down by 2.0% in the period, with sales volumes 5.9% lower than a year earlier, Statistics Netherlands noted.
Supermarket turnover fell by 3.0%, year-on-year, while turnover in specialty food stores rose by 4.6%.
Online sales rose by 1.8% in the Netherlands in November compared to the previous year, with web shops specialising in online sales reporting a 4.2% increase, while multi-channel retailers saw a 1.5% decline.
Online sales of food and drugstores increased in November, compared to the same month the previous year, while online sales of non-food and clothing were lower, year-on-year. Read more here.
Inflation rose in December
A separate study by Statistics Netherlands found that inflation rose by 4.1% in December, slightly up from 4.0% in November, according to quick estimates.
Food, beverages, and tobacco prices experienced an increase of 6.7% in the month, while services saw a 5.8% rise. Energy, including motor fuels, increased by 1.4%, contrasting with a decrease the previous month.
Looking at the year of 2024 as a whole, consumer goods and services were on average 3.3% more expensive than in 2023, according to Statistics Netherlands.
The quick estimate also provided inflation data using the European Harmonised Consumer Price Index (HICP), which stood at 3.9% for December, up from 3.8% in November. The HICP data excludes certain costs, such as owner-occupied housing expenses. Read more here.
