Retail sales up for first time in five years

According to Statistics Netherlands, retail sales increased last year for the first time since 2008. Compared to 2013, the volume of sales was 1 percent higher and prices in stores were lower. The turnover also increased by 0.5 percent, after two years of decreases. Non-food stores, in particular, showed a recovery last year. The volume increased in this sector for the first time in six years and the turnover amounted to about the same level as in 2013. The last quarter of the year especially contributed to the improvement, with a 2.5 percent turnover increase in December. Stores selling food, beverages and tobacco also showed a turnaround last year, with the volume increasing with 1.3 percent. The most growth in this sector was again n in the supermarkets. Mail order companies and online store's saw a 10 percent increase in turnover compared to 2013. In December, sales at these stores were 15 percent higher than in the same month the previous year. This is the largest increase in sales over the past 12 months.