Türkiye’s retail sales slightly down in May

By Emir Yildirim

ISTANBUL (AA) - Türkiye’s retail sales slightly decreased by 0.2% on a monthly basis in May, according to data from the country’s statistical bureau on Thursday.

This figure followed April’s downwardly revised 1.9% month-on-month decline, TurkStat data revealed.

Retail sales volume for non-food items except for automotive fuel fell 0.2% and for automotive fuel decreased 1.1%, while food, drinks, and tobacco sales climbed 0.1% on a monthly basis in May.

Among non-food items, the highest monthly increase was in sales via mail orders and the internet, which was up 1.8%, while the highest month-on-month decrease was seen in electronic goods and furniture, down 0.8%.

On an annual basis, retail sales hiked 5.8% in May, easing from the 10.2% annual hike in April.

Non-food sales except for automotive fuel went up 8.3% and sales of food, drinks, and tobacco 8.1%, while automotive fuel sales fell 9.2% year-on-year in May.

Among non-food items, the sales via mail orders and the internet enjoyed the largest hike of 18.8% year-on-year, followed by medical goods and cosmetic sales, up 13.6% on an annual basis in May, TurkStat data showed.