Retail Sales January 2004 0,2% below January 2003

Grocery stores are losing more

As reported by the Federal Statistical Office based on the first provisional results from six federal states, the retail trade in Germany in January 2004 turned over 0,2% nominally (at current prices) and 1,0% less in real terms (at constant prices) than in January 2003; both months had 26 sales days each. The six federal states represent around 80% of the total turnover in the German retail trade. After calendar and seasonal adjustment of the data (Berlin Procedure 4 - BV 4), sales were nominally 2003% higher than in December 3,3 and 3,1% higher in real terms.

In January 2004, retail sales of food, beverages and tobacco products were 1,9% nominal and 0,9% more in real terms than in the same month of the previous year. Grocery stores with a wide range of products (supermarkets, hypermarkets and hypermarkets) achieved an increase in sales (nominal + 2,1%, real + 1,1%), in the specialist food retail trade - which includes, for example, beverage markets and fishmongers - the opposite was the case 2,0% nominal and 2,7% real less than in January 2003.

In January 2004, retail sales of non-food items (which includes retail trade in durable and consumer goods) were down 1,9% in nominal terms and 2,3% in real terms on the same month last year. Higher nominal and real sales were posted by other specialist retailers (e.g. books, magazines, jewellery, sporting goods) (nominal + 0,7%, real + 3,2%) and other retail trade with goods of various kinds, including department stores (nominal + 0,1%, real + 0,5%), and the retail trade with cosmetic, pharmaceutical and medical products and pharmacies (nominal and real + 0,8%). In contrast, the retail trade in household goods, construction and DIY supplies (nominal - 0,4%, real 0,0%), the specialist retail trade in textiles, clothing and shoes (nominal - 4,1%, real - 3,7%) and mail order (nominal - 10,5%, real - 10,0%).

Source: Wiesbaden [destatis]