Turkey: Retail trade volume slips in Sept.

By Tuba Sahin

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's calendar-adjusted retail sales volume with constant prices narrowed 3.4 percent year-on-year in September, the country's statistical authority revealed on Monday.

"In the same month non-food [except automotive fuel] sales decreased by 8.3 percent, automotive fuel sales decreased by 4 percent, food, drinks and tobacco sales increased by 6.9 percent," TurkStat said in a statement.

The volume of non-food sales by mail order and the Internet surged 17.3 percent on an annual basis in September.

Over the same period, sales of textile, clothing and footwear went up 22.9 percent, while the medical goods and cosmetics sales volume climbed 6.1 percent.

The electronic goods and furniture sales volume saw an annual fall of 27.6 percent in the month, and the sales volume of computers, books, and telecommunications equipment slipped 16.1 percent.

September data showed that the calendar-adjusted retail turnover with current prices jumped 22.5 percent in September from the same month last year.

"In the same month food, drinks and tobacco sales increased by 28.1 percent, non-food [except automotive fuel] sales increased by 18.7 percent, automotive fuel sales increased by 24.7 percent," TurkStat said.