Haver Analytics
Haver Analytics
Global| Oct 11 2007

Still No Life in German Retail Sales

Summary

While auto sales have revived in August, the rest of retail sales remain lethargic.In real terms retail sales excluding auto sales fell by 1.6% in August. For the third quarter, sales are off to a weak start as nominal retail sales [...]


While auto sales have revived in August, the rest of retail sales remain lethargic.In real terms retail sales excluding auto sales fell by 1.6% in August. For the third quarter, sales are off to a weak start as nominal retail sales excluding autos are off at a 0.9% rate; real retail sales excluding autos are off at a 1% annual rate. Food and tobacco plus clothing and footwear categories are off sharply in the new quarter as well. But auto and parts sales are up at a strong 25% annual rate. Since The German VAT was hiked in January retail sales are still hampered.

German Real and Nominal Retail Sales New QTR
Nominal Aug-07 Jul-07 Jun-07 3-MO 6-MO 12-MO YrAgo SAAR
Retail Ex auto -1.4% 0.7% 1.4% 3.0% -0.9% -2.1% 7.0% -0.9%
MV and Parts 3.6% 0.9% 0.0% 19.1% 26.3% -0.4% 17.5% 25.6%
Food Bev & Tobacco -1.2% -0.1% 0.8% -1.8% -1.8% -1.3% 5.1% -5.4%
Clothing footwear -0.2% 0.2% 5.5% 23.8% -1.9% -3.4% 11.8% -3.8%
Real
Retail Ex auto -1.6% 0.7% 1.4% 2.3% -1.3% -3.0% 6.5% -1.0%
  • Robert A. Brusca is Chief Economist of Fact and Opinion Economics, a consulting firm he founded in Manhattan. He has been an economist on Wall Street for over 25 years. He has visited central banking and large institutional clients in over 30 countries in his career as an economist. Mr. Brusca was a Divisional Research Chief at the Federal Reserve Bank of NY (Chief of the International Financial markets Division), a Fed Watcher at Irving Trust and Chief Economist at Nikko Securities International. He is widely quoted and appears in various media.   Mr. Brusca holds an MA and Ph.D. in economics from Michigan State University and a BA in Economics from the University of Michigan. His research pursues his strong interests in non aligned policy economics as well as international economics. FAO Economics’ research targets investors to assist them in making better investment decisions in stocks, bonds and in a variety of international assets. The company does not manage money and has no conflicts in giving economic advice.

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