German retailers slightly increased their sales in May. Compared to the previous month, they increased price-adjusted (real) by 0.4 percent, as the Federal Statistical Office announced on Friday in Wiesbaden. Analysts had expected stagnation on average. Compared to the same month last year, however, real revenues were 3.6 percent lower.
In nominal terms, i.e. including price changes, there was a month-on-month increase of 0.5 percent, and year-on-year sales rose by 2.8 percent. “The difference between the nominal and real results reflects the significantly increased price level in retail,” the statisticians explained.
The divergence between real and nominal sales in the food trade is particularly evident. While revenues rose by a nominal 6.7 percent year-on-year, they fell by 4.4 percent in real terms. (dpa)