Turkey's retail trade volume down in February

By Gokhan Ergocun

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkey's calendar-adjusted retail sales volume with constant prices dropped by 4.9% year-on-year in February, according to an official data on Tuesday.

Non-food -- except automotive fuel -- sales showed the biggest annual drop among main economic activities with 8.2%, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) said.

While automotive fuel sales fell by 1.7%, food, drinks and tobacco sales dropped 1%, the TurkStat reported.

Among non-food, the volume of textile, clothing and footwear sales rose by 4.3% in the same period, and medical goods and cosmetic sales went up 2.4%.

Sales by mail orders and internet climbed 22% year-on-year in February.

Meanwhile, sales volume of the electronic goods and furniture fell by 18.7% in the month, while computers, books, and telecommunications equipment's sales volume decreased 14.7%.

- Retail turnover on rise in October

TurkStat also revealed that the calendar-adjusted retail turnover with current prices jumped 14.2% in February, on a yearly basis.

"In the same month, food, drinks and tobacco sales increased by 18.3%, non-food (except automotive fuel) sales increased by 12.5%, automotive fuel sales increased by 12.5%," it added.