SA October retail trade sales up 1.3%
Retail trade sales were expected to have increased by 1.7% y/y‚ according to a survey of leading economists by I-Net Bridge. Forecasts among the nine economists ranged from -0.3% to 5.68%.
Measured in real terms‚ seasonally adjusted retail trade sales fell 0.4% between October and September.
This followed month-on-month changes of -0.8% in September and 1.1% in August‚ both of which were revised.
Stats SA said positive annual growth rates were recorded for retailers in textiles‚ clothing‚ footwear and leather goods (7.6%)‚ hardware‚ paint and glass (3.3%)‚ and pharmaceuticals and medical goods‚ cosmetics and toiletries (2.0%).
Positive contributors to the 1.3% increase were retailers in textiles‚ clothing‚ footwear and leather goods (contributing 1.6 percentage points)‚ retailers in hardware‚ paint and glass (contributing 0.3 of a percentage point) and retailers in pharmaceuticals and medical goods‚ cosmetics and toiletries (contributing 0.2 of a percentage point).
Seasonally adjusted retail trade sales decreased by 0.1% in the three months ended October 2013 compared with the previous three months‚ Stats SA noted.