Economy Retail sales fall slightly again in May

In May, Swiss retail sales were slightly lower than a year ago, following a sharp rise in April. Sales of food, beverages and tobacco products, among others, were down.

In May 2024, sales by Swiss retailers fell by 0.3% in nominal terms compared to the previous year, according to provisional results published by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) on Monday. The trend is adjusted for sales and holiday effects.

In real terms - i.e. also taking into account factors such as inflation - sales increased by 0.4% year-on-year, adjusted for calendar effects.

If the sales trend at petrol stations is excluded, sales fell by 0.5% in nominal terms (+0.3% in real terms). Retail sales of food, beverages and tobacco fell by 1.2% in nominal terms (-1.6% in real terms), while the non-food sector saw a 0.1% drop in sales (+1.4% in real terms).

Unchanged from the previous month

Compared to the previous month of April, retail sales remained unchanged, with an increase of 0.2% in real terms. Even excluding petrol stations, sales stagnated in nominal terms compared to the previous month (+0.2% in real terms).

Retail sales of food, beverages and tobacco remained at the previous month's level (unchanged in real terms). In contrast, the non-food sector recorded a nominal decline of 0.1% (+0.1% in real terms).

The retail trade turnover statistics of the Federal Statistical Office are based on a random sample of around 3000 companies. It is a monthly survey, with small companies being asked about their monthly turnover figures on a quarterly basis.

SDA