Swiss retail trade stagnates in the first half of 2017
In the first half of 2017, the Swiss retail sector virtually stagnated compared with the prior-year period, with a decline of 0.1 percent. The leisure market (sports and toys) and the do-it-yourself market developed positively.
The GfK Market Monitor concludes the first six months of 2017 with a slight decline of 0.1%. Food retail once again performed slightly better than non-food retail (-0.3), with a pari compared to the previous year.
In June 2017, inflation was 0.2 percent year-on-year. For 2017, the Federal Statistical Office forecasts inflation of 0.5 percent. This marks the end of the negative price trend that has persisted for five years.
The submarkets in the non-food segment are showing different trends:
- Sporting goods and toys were the winners in the 1st half with an increase of 6.5 percent.
- The Do-It-Yourself / Garden market also recorded growth, with business boosted by the summer temperatures, among other factors.
- Fashion/Style is slowly recovering, although the previous year's result was a strong minus.
- The growth of online continues, and in stationary retail, sales outlet closures continue to be observed in some cases.
GfK Market Monitor
GfK Markt Monitor Schweiz is a service provided by GfK Switzerland in collaboration with over 40 major Swiss retailers. These account for around 50 percent of total retail sales. Specialty retail is not integrated.
