Retail sales in May 2004 real 5,2% below May 2003

Groceries lose around 3% sales volume

According to provisional results from the Federal Statistical Office, retail sales in Germany in May 2004 were down 4,8% in nominal terms and 5,2% in real terms compared with May 2003. However, May 2004, with 23 sales days, also had two fewer sales days than May 2003. The preliminary result was calculated from data from six federal states, in which 81% of total German retail sales are made. After calendar and seasonal adjustment of the data, compared to April 2004, sales were nominally 1,5% lower and 1,7% lower in real terms.

In the first five months of 2004 retail sales were nominally 2,0% and real 1,8% less than in the same period of the previous year.

In retail sales of food, beverages and tobacco goods, nominal sales were 2,8% and real 3,4% lower than in May 2003. In grocery stores with a wide range (supermarkets, hypermarkets and hypermarkets), nominal 2,6. 3,1% and 2003% in real terms less than in May 5,9. In the specialist retail trade with foodstuffs – including beverage markets and fishmongers, for example – sales were nominally 7,8% and XNUMX% in real terms below the sales figures for the same month last year.

In retailing with non-foodstuffs (this includes retailing with durable and consumer goods), the result of the same month of the previous year was also not reached (nominal – 6,3%, real – 6,5%). Nominal and real turnover was lower than in May 2003 in all sectors: in the specialist retail trade with cosmetic, pharmaceutical and medical products (nominal – 1,8%, in real terms – 1,1%), in the specialist retail trade with furnishings, household appliances and building supplies (nominal – 3,9%, real – 3,3%), in the specialist retail trade with textiles, clothing, shoes and leather goods (nominal – 6,5%, real – 6,2%), in other retail trade with goods of various kinds, to which the Department stores belong (nominal – 6,6%, real – 6,3%), other specialist retail (e.g. books, magazines, jewellery, sporting goods) (nominal – 8,6%, real – 7,5%), and in mail order (nominal – 15,8%, real – 15,1%).

Source: Wiesbaden [destatis]