Swiss retail trade records a plus

For the first time in a long time, the Swiss retail sector recorded a year-on-year increase of 0.2% in the first nine months of 2017. September 2017 in particular was above average with an increase of a whopping 5%. The leisure market (sports and toys) and the do-it-yourself market in particular achieved positive sales growth.

In September 2017, inflation was 0.7% compared to the same month last year. The Federal Statistical Office is forecasting an inflation rate of 0.5% for 2017. The submarkets in the non-food markets are showing different trends: Sports and toys are the winners, as they were in the first half of the year, with an increase of 4.4%. The DIY/garden market is also up, with the summer temperatures in autumn boosting business. Fashion/style is down slightly, although the previous year's result was sharply lower. The autumnal weather in September provided strong support for business with new merchandise and had a very positive effect in September.

GfK Switzerland AG (Rotkreuz/ZG) is the largest market research institute in Switzerland according to vsms industry statistics and offers market research services in all areas. GfK Switzerland has been part of the internationally active GfK Group, headquartered in Nuremberg, since 1999. With companies in over 100 countries, GfK is one of the largest market research institutes in the world.