Switzerland: Retail sales drop at sharpest rate since April in December
Retail sales dropped 2.8% year on year in calendar-adjusted terms in December (November: -1.4% c.a. yoy). December’s figure marked the worst reading since April. The figure largely reflected a dive in food, beverages, and tobacco sales. In addition, culture and recreation goods sales lost pace.
On a monthly basis, retail sales declined 1.7% in seasonally adjusted terms in December, contrasting November’s 0.6% expansion and marking the worst result since April. Meanwhile, the trend pointed down, with the annual average variation of retail sales coming in at 0.0% after November’s 0.3%.