Turnover of the retail enterprises in Germany was 2.3% higher in March 2017 than in the same month of a year earlier

According to provisional results of the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), the price-adjusted (real) turnover of the retail enterprises in Germany was 2.3% higher in March 2017 than in the same month of a year earlier, while in nominal terms (that is, not price-adjusted) it was 4.2% higher. In March 2017, stores were open on 27 days, that is, two days more than in March 2016.

This year, Easter fell in April, while last year it was in March.

As of March 2017, a larger online retail enterprise, which established a branch in Germany in May 2015, has been included in the statistics of retail trade. This has a major impact both on online retail data and on total retail data. To reflect more adequately the economic development of German retail enterprises, the results as of May 2015 have been recalculated. This allows full comparability between the results for March 2017 to May 2016 with the relevant months of the previous year.

However, it also leads to considerable revisions of results published earlier. Due to the revision, the year-on-year change rate of real turnover of total retail trade in 2016 rose to 2.6% (previously: 1.8%) and that of nominal turnover to 2.9% (previously: 2.3%). The year-on-year change rate of real turnover of 2015 increased to 3.8% (previously: 2.5%). The year-on-year change rate of nominal turnover, too, was up to 3.8% (previously: 2.6%).