Press release No. N 063 of 5 October 2020
- Department stores recorded 42.1% fall in turnover in real terms from 1999 to 2019 while online trade turnover doubled (+120.3%)
- Shop-based retail trade in clothing saw decline in turnover due to corona crisis: -11.6% in August 2020 on February 2020, calendar and seasonally adjusted
- Highest increase of online purchases in the product group of food, cosmetics and products of chemist’s shops
- Nearly one fifth (17%) of small retail businesses did not sell their products via their own website in 2019
WIESBADEN – While the dynamic online and mail order business recorded additional increases in turnover due to the corona crisis, the pandemic further aggravated the economic situation of the traditional department stores. Based on provisional figures, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) reports that the department stores’ turnover in real terms was down by 2.4% in August 2020 year on year. From April to June 2020, turnover in real terms fell by 21.3% in that branch compared with the 2nd quarter of 2019. In August 2020, the department stores’ calendar and seasonal adjusted turnover did still not reach the pre-crisis level (-1.2% on February 2020). Department stores are closing down in many places which further diminishes the attractiveness of inner cities and pedestrian zones.
More results are available on the “Corona statistics“ webpage of the Federal Statistical Office together with other indicators which can be used to assess the economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.
