According to the report from Federal Statistical Office, turnover in the retail sector fell by 0.3% in nominal terms in January 2019 compared with the previous year. Seasonally adjusted, nominal turnover fell by 0.3% compared with the previous month.

Real turnover in the retail sector also adjusted for sales days and holidays fell by 0.4% in January 2019 compared with the previous year. Economists had expected a 0.3% increase. Compared with the previous month, real, seasonally adjusted retail trade turnover registered a decline of 0.3%.

Adjusted for sales days and holidays, the retail sector excluding service stations showed a 0.4% decrease in nominal turnover in January 2019 compared with January 2018 (in real terms –0.4%). Retail sales of food, drinks and tobacco registered an increase in nominal turnover of 0.8% (in real terms –0.2%), whereas the non-food sector registered a nominal negative of 1.4% (in real terms –1.0%).