German retail sales rose less than expected in August

According to provisional data from Destatis, turnover in retail trade in August 2019 was in real terms 3.2% and in nominal terms 3.8% larger than in August 2018. Economists had expected a 3.3% increase in real terms. The number of days open for sale was 27 in August 2019 and in August 2018.

Retail trade in food, beverages and tobacco grew by 1.7% in real terms and 3.1% in nominal terms in August 2019 compared with August 2018, with sales in supermarkets, hypermarkets and consumer markets up by 2.1% in real terms and 3.4% in nominal terms over the same month of the previous year.  In real terms, food retailing was 1.2% less than in August 2018 and 1.0% more in nominal terms. 

In the retail trade of non-food products, sales rose by 4.1% in real terms and by 4.4% in nominal terms in August 2019 compared with the same month of the previous year. Internet and mail order trading recorded the largest increase in sales, with 5.9% in real terms and 5.8% in nominal terms.

Compared with the previous year, turnover in retail trade was in the first eight months of 2019 in real terms 3.0% and in nominal terms 3.7% higher than in the corresponding period of the previous year.

When adjusted for calendar and seasonal variations, the August turnover was in real terms 0.5% and in nominal terms 0.3% higher than in July 2019. Economists had expected a 0.6% increase in real terms.