Retail trade continues to recover in August
Swiss retail sales continued to recover in August compared with the same month last year. This was once again particularly true in the food retail sector during August, the second main vacation month, as shown by provisional figures from the Federal Statistical Office.
In August, retail sales increased by 1.6% in nominal terms compared to the previous year, adjusted for calendar effects. Taking inflation into account, there was even an increase of 2.5% in real terms, according to provisional figures released by the FSO on Thursday.
The increase was particularly strong in food stores, including beverages and tobacco products. Here, sales climbed by 8.4% in nominal terms and 8.1% in real terms on a calendar-adjusted basis. In contrast, sales in the non-food sector fell by 1.7% (real: -0.4%).
Working from home makes itself felt
The trend towards working from home is clearly reflected in the figures. Broken down by sector, the retail trade in information and communication technology equipment showed by far the greatest growth with a nominal increase of 23.5% (real: +33.1%). However, the sectors "other household appliances, textiles, DIY and furnishings" (+11.3%; real: +11.8%) and "market stalls, mail order and e-commerce" (+20.1%; real: +20.8%) also grew significantly.
The fact that fewer cars were driven and fuel also became cheaper is reflected in a nominal drop in retail trade with filling stations of 12.4 percent (real: +2.5%). For fuel alone, there was a drop of 17.4 percent (real: -3.2%).
Decline compared to July
In contrast, retail sales fell compared to the previous month of July. Adjusted for seasonal influences, they fell by 2.1% in nominal terms and 1.9% in real terms. Excluding petrol stations, the retail trade recorded a drop of 2.2%.
Grocery stores alone recorded a more moderate decline in sales of 0.8% in nominal terms. In the non-food sector, the decline was 2.9 percent. (SDA)
