The first nine months were good for the retail trade - especially September
In the first nine months of 2017, the Swiss retail sector posted growth of 0.2 percent compared with the same period a year earlier—the first increase in quite some time.
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. With an increase of 0.2%, the GfK Market Monitor closes the first nine months of 2017 on a positive note. Non-food retail even achieved growth of 0.6% after a prolonged challenging phase.
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 show different trends:
- Sports and toys are the winners, as in the first half of the year, with an increase of 4.4%.
- The Do-It-Yourself/Garden-market, where business was boosted by the summer temperatures in the fall, among other things.
- Fashion/Style reported a slight minus, whereas the previous year's result was sharply negative. The autumnal weather in September provided strong support for business with new goods and had a very positive impact in September.
