According to the report from Federal Statistical Office (FSO), turnover adjusted for sales days and holidays rose in the retail sector by 0.6% in nominal terms in January 2020 compared with the previous year. Seasonally adjusted, nominal turnover fell by 0.6% compared with the previous month.

Real turnover adjusted for sales days and holidays fell in the retail sector by 0.1% in January 2020 compared with the previous year. Real growth takes inflation into consideration. Economists had expected a 0.3% increase. Compared with the previous month, real, seasonally adjusted retail trade turnover registered a decline of 0.6%.

Adjusted for sales days and holidays, the retail sector excluding service stations showed a 0.6% decrease in nominal turnover in January 2020 compared with January 2019 (in real terms -0.1%). Retail sales of food, drinks and tobacco registered a decline in nominal turnover of 0.7% (in real terms -0.1%), whereas the non-food sector registered a nominal negative of 0.8% (in real terms +0.2%).

Excluding service stations, the retail sector showed a seasonally adjusted decline in nominal turnover of 1.0% compared with the previous month (in real terms -0.8%). Retail sales of food, drinks and tobacco registered a nominal minus of 0.5% (in real terms -0.2%). The non-food sector showed a minus of 1.3% (in real terms -0.9%).