According to the report from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), retail trade turnover adjusted for sales days and holidays showed nominal growth of 3.5% in December 2020 compared with the same month of the previous year. Seasonally adjusted, nominal turnover grew by 2.2% compared with the previous month. Despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the whole of 2020, provisional results show nominal growth of 0.1%. This positive growth consists of contrasting developments in the sectors with some strong turnover losses and gains.

Real turnover adjusted for sales days and holidays rose in the retail sector by 4.7% in December 2020 compared with the previous year. Real growth takes inflation into consideration. Compared with the previous month, real, seasonally adjusted retail trade turnover registered an increase of 2.6%.

Adjusted for sales days and holidays, the retail sector excluding service stations showed a 5.1% increase in nominal turnover in December 2020 compared with December 2019 (in real terms +6.2%). Retail sales of food, drinks and tobacco registered an increase in nominal turnover of 13.0% (in real terms +13.3%), whereas the non-food sector registered a nominal negative of 1.3% (in real terms +0.1%).

Excluding service stations, the retail sector showed a seasonally adjusted increase in nominal turnover of 2.1% compared with the previous month (in real terms +2.7%). Retail sales of food, drinks and tobacco registered a plus of 3.9% (in real terms +4.5%). The non-food sector showed a minus of 0.1% (in real terms +0.1%).