After a tough couple of years in which retailers have been battered by the boom in online shopping and the cuts in householders’ disposable income, the Retail Sales Index for July to September suggested a very slight improvement.
After ironing out the usual seasonal shifts, the figures suggested a 1% increase in the volume of sales over the last 12 months, and a similar 1% increase in the value of sales.
The figures are significant because it’s only the second period out of 13 that has seen an increase in the volume of sales since mid 2011, and only the third out of the last 12 to see an increase in the value of sales.
The figures which are compiled and analysed by the States Statistics Unit, show that it’s the “predominantly food” – made up of supermarkets, convenience stores and small food stores – sector that is leading the recovery.
The value in food sales has been at around 0% or higher since 2007, and so far this year the increases have amounted to a combined 8%. But the non-food sector shows a different story, with ten out of the last 13 quarters showing a decrease in value of sales.