IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH DATA ECOSYSTEMS

Measured in real terms (constant 2012 prices), retail trade sales increased by 1,4% year-on-year in September 2016. Positive contributors to the annual growth rate were:

• retailers in food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores (10,9% and contributing 0,8 of a percentage point);
• retailers in pharmaceuticals and medical goods, cosmetics and toiletries (6,5% and contributing 0,5 of a percentage point);
• retailers in hardware, paint and glass (4,9% and contributing 0,4 of a percentage point); and
• all ‘other’ retailers (3,4% and contributing 0,3 of a percentage point).

  Seasonally adjusted retail trade sales increased by 0,6% month-on-month in September 2016. This followed month-on-month changes of 0,2% in August 2016 and -0,2% in July 2016.   In the third quarter of 2016, seasonally adjusted retail trade sales decreased by 0,2% compared with the previous quarter.   Retail trade sales increased by 0,9% in the third quarter of 2016 compared with the third quarter of 2015. The main contributors to this increase were:

• retailers in food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores (6,7% and contributing 0,5 of a percentage point); and
• retailers in pharmaceuticals and medical goods, cosmetics and toiletries (6,2% and contributing 0,5 of a percentage point).