Turnover in the Dutch retail sector rose by 2.6% in September 2024, compared to the same month the previous year, new data from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) has found.
Sales volumes were up 1.2%, the data showed.
However, the numbers also indicate sluggish sales for food retailers, which saw turnover decrease by 1.8%. By contrast, turnover in non-food rose by 5.2%, and online retail turnover was up by double digits (10.5%).
Behind the numbers
Drilling down into the numbers, in food retail, supermarkets contributed to the overall decline in sales, with a 2.8% drop in turnover, while specialty food shops saw a 5.8% increase in turnover.
Sales volumes in food retail fell by 5.4%, the data showed.
Within non-food, the growth came from various segments, including retailers selling footwear and leather products, clothing, personal care items, consumer electronics, DIY goods, and recreational items.
Pure-play online retailers
Online retail was driven by a solid performance by pure-play online operators, which saw a 12.1% rise in turnover. However, multi-channel retailers, which combine online and in-store sales, experienced an 8.3% decline in their online revenue.
Online sales growth was strong in categories such as clothing, food and personal care products, other non-food items, and consumer electronics.
‘The figures for retail turnover have been adjusted for calendar days in September, because more is sold on certain days of the week than on other days,’ Statistics Netherlands noted. ‘Without such an adjustment, retail turnover in September 2024 would have been 0.2 percent lower than one year previously’.’ Read more here.
