Swiss retail trade turnover fell in April

According to the provisional data from Federal Statistical Office (FSO), real turnover in the retail sector also adjusted for sales days and holidays fell by 0.7% in April 2019 compared with the previous year. Real growth takes inflation into consideration. Economists had expected a 0.8% decrease. Compared with the previous month, real, seasonally adjusted retail trade turnover registered an increase of 0.2%.

Adjusted for sales days and holidays, the retail sector excluding service stations showed a 0.2% decrease in nominal turnover in April 2019 compared with April 2018 (in real terms –0.6%). Retail sales of food, drinks and tobacco registered an increase in nominal turnover of 1.9% (in real terms +0.9%), whereas the non-food sector registered a nominal negative of 2.1% (in real terms –2.0%).

Excluding service stations, the retail sector showed a seasonally adjusted increase in nominal turnover of 0.2% compared with the previous month (in real terms +0.2%). Retail sales of food, drinks and tobacco registered a plus of 1.1% (in real terms +1.0%). The non-food sector showed a minus of 0.2% (in real terms 0.0%).