Netherlands - Retail Sales

For the Netherlands, the monthly statistics on retail trade published by Statistics Netherlands provide indicators for audiences including the public sector, industrial organizations, businesses and others. The indexes mainly refer to turnover developments. Price and volume indexes are also published for most (sub)categories.

Properties

Active:

• Classification: SBI 2008 a.k.a. SIC 2008, the local adaptation of NACE Rev. 2
• Measurements:
  • Fixed-base volume index relative to 2015 (Vol. Index 2021=100)
  • Value index (Index 2021=100)
• Adjustment: Not seasonally adjusted (NSA)
• Native frequency: Monthly
• Start dates:
  • 2000m1 for headline
  • 2014m1 for "internet sales by sales channel"
  • 2015m1 for "internet sales by main economic activity"

Predecessors:

• 2015=100 - 2005m1 to 2023m12 ("_15")
• 2010=100 - 2005m1 to 2018m12 ("_10")
• 2005=100 - 2000m1 to 2012m12 ("05")
• 2000=100 - 2000m1* to 2008m12 ("00")
• 1995=100 - 1994m1 to 2003m6 ("95")
• Level in euros, annual - 2000 to 2005 (no specifier)

Global concept aliases:

• WRT.INLD
• WRT$.INLD

The source writes:

Because of the vast number of statistical units in retail trade (approximately 80,000, SIC 52), statistics on retail trade are sample surveys. All retail trade enterprises employing 20 or more persons with retail trade as their main activity are surveyed. The remainder (i.e. enterprises employing less than 20 persons) are randomly sampled and assumed to be representative for the entire retail trade population. Only enterprises with retail trade as their main activity are sampled. The total turnover of these enterprises is taken into account.

A raising procedure is used, which involves the computation of the observed and calculated turnover per size class of the units in the sample survey. The result is then divided by the number of units in the sample (n) and multiplied by the population (N) of that particular size class. Subsequently, all raised turnovers of the size classes are added up per SIC.

Definitions

Turnover

The value of the goods and services, sold cash or on account, after deduction of discounts, returns and repaid deposits. Receipts from secondary activities are included in the turnover. In retail trade turnover includes VAT.

Volume

Turnover adjusted for price developments.

Index

An index compares the value of a variable (e.g., turnover) in a certain period with the value of the same variable in the base period. The index of this base period is 100.

SIC

Sectors and branches of industry are frequently used terms for groups of enterprises classified by main activity. Statistics Netherlands uses its Standard Industrial Classification of all Economic Activities 2008 (SIC 2008) to classify enterprises by main activity.

52 Retail trade (incl. repairs)

This regards the entire retail trade, excluding SIC 5231 pharmacies. Retail trade is defined as: the activity of selling goods produced by others directly to the public for private or household use. Retail trade turnover and repair of consumer goods comprises the turnover of shops (food and non-food), the turnover of mail-order companies, market and street trading and turnover of repair shops.

5210a Retail trade (excl. pharmacies)

Retail trade is defined as: the activity of selling goods produced by others directly to the public for private or household use. Retail trade turnover and repair of consumer goods comprises the turnover of shops (food and non-food), the turnover of mail-order companies, market and street trading and turnover of repair shops. (SIC 521, 522, 5232, 5233, 524, 525, 526)

5210d Shops (excl. pharmacies)

Retail trade is defined as: the activity of selling goods produced by others directly to the public for private or household use. Retail trade turnover in shops only covers the turnover in shops (food and non-food). (SIC 521, 522, 5232, 5233, 524, 525)

5211a Food, beverages and tobacco

Supermarkets, potatoes, vegetables and fruit, butchers, poulterers, fish, bread, pastry, chocolate and confectionary, off-licences, tobacco products, cheese, health food, foreign food, dairy products, eggs, fats, nuts, frozen food, etc. (SIC 5211 and 522)

5212a Non-food

Non-food shops. (SIC 5212, 523 to 525, excl. SIC 5231 chemist's shops)

Retail trade (no car trade, petrol stations and dispensing chemists)

Comprises total retail trade, excluding petrol stations (4730) and dispensing chemists (4773). 'Retail trade is defined as: the activity of selling goods produced by others directly to the public for private or household use. Comprises food and non-food shops, mail order companies, webshops and market and street trade. Does not include car trade.

Multi-channel (mainly not online)

471+472, 474-476, 477 (excl. 4773), 478+4799

Retail sale via internet

4791

Retail sale of food and drugstore items

4711, 472, 4774, 47911

Retail sale of consumer electronics

474, 47912

Retail sale of clothes and fashion items

4771, 4772, 4777, 47914

Retail sale of other non-food

Retail sale of books, magazines, cd's, dvd's; house and gardenarticles; leisure articles; other non-food; non-specialised non-food. 4719, 475, 476, 4775, 4776, 4778, 4779, 478, 47913, 47915, 47916, 47918, 47919, 4799

Moody's Analytics supplements

For the headline series (base 2005), we back-extend prior to 2000m1 (using the base-2000 series), and construct SA counterparts.

For the headline series (bases 2010, 2015), we back-extend prior to 2005m1 (using the base-2005 series), and construct an SA counterpart.

For the headline series (value and volume, base 2021), we back-extend prior to 2000m1, and construct SA counterparts.

Figures for the current year are provisional, figures from preceding periods are definite. Once definite figures have been published, the source will only revise the results if significant adjustments and/or corrections are needed.

Further reading

Data tables at the source (CBS StatLine):

• Retail trade; turnover changes internet sales; index 2015=100
• Retail trade; turnover change; index 2015=100, 2005-2023
• Retail trade; turnover and production changes, index 2021=100

• Sep 2005 - Initial version with base 2000.
• May 2008 - Annual variant terminated.
• Apr 2009 - Reclassified to NACE Rev. 2 and rebased to 2005.
• Mar 2013 - Rebased to 2010.
• Apr 2018 - Rebased to 2015.
• 3 May 2024, Phillip Thorne - Rebased to 2021: Properties.