German retail sales rose less than forecast in September

According to provisional data from Destatis, turnover in retail trade in September 2019 was in real terms 3.4% and in nominal terms 3.5% larger than in September 2018. The number of days open for sale was 25 in September 2019 and in September 2018. Economists had expected a 3.5% increase in real terms.

Retail trade in food, beverages and tobacco grew by 0.5% in real terms and 1.4% in nominal terms in September 2019 compared with September 2018, with sales in supermarkets, hypermarkets up by 0.5% in real terms and 1.3% in nominal terms over the same month of the previous year.  In real terms, food retailing grew by 0.2% in real terms and by 2.1% in nominal terms compared with September 2018.

In the non-food retailing segment, sales in September 2019 rose by 4.9% in real terms and in nominal terms compared with the same month of the previous year. Internet and mail order trading recorded the largest increase in sales, with 10.9% in real terms and 10.3% in nominal terms.

Compared with the previous year, turnover in retail trade was in the first nine months of 2019 in real terms 3.1% and in nominal terms 3.7% higher than in the corresponding period of the previous year.

When adjusted for calendar and seasonal variations, the September turnover was in real terms 0.1% higher and in nominal terms 0.2% lower than in August 2019. Economists had expected a 0.2% increase in real terms.