Swiss retail sales rose significantly in April

The Federal Statistical Office (FSO) said that turnover adjusted for sales days and holidays rose in the retail sector by 34.8% in nominal terms in April 2021 compared with the previous year. This is the sharpest increase since the start of the time series in January 2000 and is in large part due to the weak April 2020, during which the Covid-19 safety measures came into effect. Seasonally adjusted, nominal turnover fell by 4.3% compared with the previous month.

Real turnover adjusted for sales days and holidays rose in the retail sector by 35.7% in April 2021 compared with the previous year. Real growth takes inflation into consideration. Compared with the previous month, real, seasonally adjusted retail trade turnover registered a decline of 4.4%.

Adjusted for sales days and holidays, the retail sector excluding service stations showed a 35.1% increase in nominal turnover in April 2021 compared with April 2020 (in real terms +36.2%). Service stations recorded a nominal turnover increase of 30.9% (in real terms +13.5%).

Retail trade of food, drinks and tobacco in April 2021 recorded an increase in nominal turnover of 11.8% (in real terms +13.3%) compared with April 2020. The non-food sector recorded a nominal plus of 73.1% (in real terms +73.5%) in comparison with the previous year. 

Excluding service stations, the retail sector showed a seasonally adjusted decline in nominal turnover of 4.6% compared with the previous month (in real terms –4.8%). Retail sales of food, drinks and tobacco registered a nominal minus of 0.8% (in real terms –1.3%). The non-food sector showed a minus of 7.0% (in real terms –7.2%).