Retail trade turnover in November 2021

Press release

Embargo: 7.1.2022, 8:30 a.m.

06 Industry and Services

Retail trade turnover in November 2021

Swiss retail turnover increased in November 2021

Revenue adjusted for holidays and balances increased in retail by 5.4% in nominal terms in November 2021 compared to the previous year. Seasonally adjusted, nominal sales increased 1.4% from the previous month. These are provisional conclusions of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

Actual turnover adjusted for holidays and bank holidays increased in retail by 5.8% in November 2021 compared to the previous year. Real growth takes inflation into account. Compared to the previous month, the actual, seasonally adjusted turnover of the retail trade increased by 1.3%.

Retail trade excluding service stations

Adjusted for public holidays and bank holidays, retail trade excluding gasoline stations posted a 3.9% increase in nominal turnover in November 2021 compared to November 2020 (in real terms + 4.6%). Retail sales of food, beverages and tobacco registered a nominal turnover decline of 1.2% (in real terms –0.1%), while the non-food sector recorded a nominal plus of 8.8% (in real terms + 9.0%).

Excluding gasoline stations, retail trade posted a seasonal-adjusted nominal turnover increase of 1.4% compared to the previous month (in real terms + 1.3%). Retail sales of food, beverages and tobacco rose 1.5% (in real terms + 1.5%). The non-food sector posted an increase of 1.8% (in real terms + 2.3%).

OFS press release

Pandemic results and statistics

The COVID-19 pandemic is currently affecting all of society and the economy. To measure this impact, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) must continue in these difficult circumstances to provide the public, but in particular the media and decision-makers, with reliable data.

The results published in this press release are based on currently available data. They may need to be corrected or revised.

Methodological note

Unadjusted time series, corrected for calendar effects and seasonally adjusted are available and can be viewed on the statistics website: www.dhu.bfs.admin.ch

A breakdown by product groups and company size is also available: only unadjusted figures are calculated for this breakdown. The results are presented as an index (2015 = 100) in nominal and real terms. Actual values ​​are obtained by adjusting nominal values ​​for price changes using the Swiss Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Data are seasonally adjusted to exclude seasonal fluctuations in the time series. This is done using the X12-ARIMA method. Each time, the entire time series is recalculated. Additionally, all time series are adjusted for calendar effects (not all months have the same number of sales days and holidays). The method used for the calendar adjustment is to estimate the calendar effect using a regression model.

For each series, the model calculates an average weight for each day of the week and applies those weights to each month. The resulting monthly factors are used to adjust revenue accordingly. The adjustment made in December may be somewhat skewed, as the adjustment factor is applied to the turnover for the entire month of December, despite the fact that Christmas turnover does not depend on the number of weekdays. In December 2016 (as well as in 2011 and 2005), this effect was particularly noticeable, as Christmas Day and Boxing Day fell on a Saturday and Sunday, meaning that the month had more weekdays of strong rotation than usual.

Information about the survey

Retail trade turnover statistics are based on a random sample of approximately 3000 companies. This is a monthly survey, with small businesses asked to provide monthly turnover figures on a quarterly basis.

The statistics are based on the General Classification of Economic Activities (NOGA) for the year 2008, which meets international standards and classifies companies into different economic activities according to their economic activities.

OFS press release

Surveys

Info IID, OFS, Economic studies, tel. : +41 58 467 23 70, e-mail: info.iid@bfs.admin.ch

OFS Media Office, tel. : +41 58 463 60 13, e-mail: media@bfs.admin.ch

In line

Additional information and publications: www.bfs.admin.ch/news/fr/2022-0080

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OFS website: www.statistiques.admin.ch

Access to results

This press release has been drawn up on the basis of the European Statistical Code of Practice, which guarantees the independence, integrity and accountability of national and Community statistical offices. Privileged access is monitored and under embargo.

The Swiss National Bank (exercise of its monetary policy) and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (production of the quarterly GDP estimate) received the data forming the basis of this press release five working days before the publication in the purposes of the mentioned missions. News agencies received this release with a 15-minute embargo.