Germany retail sales rose sharply in July

According to provisional data from Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), turnover in retail trade in July 2019 was in real terms 4.4% and in nominal terms 5.4% larger than in July 2018. The number of days open for sale was 27 in July 2019 and 26 in July 2018.

Retail trade in food, beverages and tobacco grew by 4.0% in real terms and 5.1% in nominal terms in July 2019 compared with July 2018. Sales in supermarkets, and hypermarkets were up 4.3% in real terms and 5.4% in nominal terms on the same month of the previous year. The specialist retail trade in food was up 1.0% in real terms and 3.0% in nominal terms compared with July 2018. 

In the retail trade of non-food products, sales rose by 4.6% in real terms and 5.8% in nominal terms in July 2019 compared with the same month of the previous year. Internet and mail order trading recorded the largest increase in sales, with 8.4% in real terms and 9.2% in nominal terms. 

Compared with the previous year, turnover in retail trade was in the first seven months of 2019 in real terms 2.8% and in nominal terms 3.5% higher than in the corresponding period of the previous year.

When adjusted for calendar and seasonal variations, the July turnover was in real terms 2.2% and in nominal terms 2.1% lower than in June 2019.