Turkey: Retail trade volume up over 3 pct in July

By Muhammed Ali Gurtas

ANKARA

Turkey's statistics authority announced Tuesday the country's calendar-adjusted retail sales volume with constant prices surged 3.1 percent year-on-year in July.

"In the same month food, drinks and tobacco sales increased by 8.2 percent," TurkStat said.

The institute said that non-food sales volume -- excluding automotive fuel -- saw an annual hike of 1.3 percent in July, while automotive fuel sales rose by 0.9 percent.

Non-food sales volume via mail orders and the Internet climbed by 24.1 percent on a yearly basis, according to the official data.

Over the same period, textiles, clothing and footwear sales volume were up 7.9 percent while medical goods and cosmetic sales volume increased by 10.5 percent.

Electronic goods and furniture sales volume saw an annual fall of 9 percent in July, and sales volume of computers, books, telecommunications equipment rose by 2.7 percent.

TurkStat also noted that calendar adjusted retail turnover with current prices increased by 21.2 percent in July compared with the same month of last year.

Official figures showed that automotive fuel sales turnover recorded a 27.8 percent year-on-year climb, followed by annual turnover hikes in food/drinks/tobacco and non-food sales with 23.2 percent and 17.3 percent, respectively.