Retail sales in August 2004 real 0,9% below August 2003

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 According to provisional results from the Federal Statistical Office, retail sales in Germany in August 2004 were down 0,4% in nominal terms and 0,9% in real terms compared with August 2003. Both months had 26 sales days each. The preliminary result was calculated from data from six federal states, which account for 81% of total German retail sales. After calendar and seasonal adjustment of the data, compared to July 2004 sales increased nominally by 1,0% and in real terms by 1,1%.

The values ​​of the calendar and seasonally adjusted series were calculated for the first time from this reporting month (August 2004) using the Census X-12-ARIMA seasonal adjustment method, which is preferred in the European Union. This method is also used for other important economic indicators from the Federal Statistical Office, such as gross domestic product or imports and exports.

In the first eight months of 2004 retail sales were nominally 1,2% and real 1,3% less than in the same period of the previous year.

In August 2004, retail sales of food, beverages and tobacco were down 2,3% in nominal terms and 2,9% in real terms on August 2003. In grocery stores with a wide range of products (supermarkets, hypermarkets and hypermarkets), Nominally 2,1% and real 2,6% and in the specialist retail trade with foodstuffs – which include, for example, the drinks markets and fish shops – nominally 5,0% and real 6,8% less.

In retailing with non-foodstuffs (this includes retailing with consumer durables and consumer goods), the result for the same month last year was exceeded (nominal +1,2%, +0,7% in real terms). Three sectors achieved higher nominal and real sales here than in August 2003: the specialist retail trade with textiles, clothing, shoes and leather goods (nominal +3,1%, real +3,0%), the specialist retail trade with cosmetic, pharmaceutical and medical products ( nominal + 2,7%, real + 3,5%) and the specialist retail trade with furnishings, household appliances and building supplies (nominal + 2,0%, real + 2,2%). The other sectors were nominally and in real terms below the sales figures for the same month of the previous year: mail order (nominal – 1,0%, real – 0,5%), other specialist retail (e.g. books, magazines, jewellery, sporting goods) (nominal – 3,2 %, real – 2,5%) and other retail trade with goods of various kinds, which includes department stores (nominal – 4,6%, real – 4,3%).

Source: Wiesbaden [destatis]