Non-food sales decrease by 7%

Saturday 23rd January 2010, 3:00PM GMT.

Retail sales are down

RETAIL sales were down by seven per cent in the third quarter of last year, compared to 12 months earlier, as the recession continued to bite.

It was the fifth quarter in succession in which sales fell on both a turnover and volume basis for non-food shopkeepers. However, food sales were up by two per cent as Islanders stayed at home more and ate out less.

Overall retail sales in the three months from July to the end of September were down by three per cent as compared to the same period in 2008.

The head of the unit, Dr Duncan Gibaut, said that an overall figure would have a degree of uncertainty from a statistical point of view. But he said the unit would prepare an annual figure for the calendar year 2009 when the end-of-year statistics were released in March.

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1
Pip Clement

January 25, 2010 at 11:29 am

It may be the case that retail sales are actually the same or even increasing but the Statistical Unit cannot see it.
The fact is that the purchase of CD’s, DVD,s, computer software, books, etc are moving to online retailing.
Why buy a book in Jersey when you can order it online, pay less and get it the next day?
A few years ago I bought only a few Christmas presents online, this year I bought virtually all of them online but I still bought most of the food locally.

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2
david brown

January 26, 2010 at 5:02 pm

what shall we eat with our, cheaper electricals , chips or salad?

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3
Mark

January 27, 2010 at 1:26 pm

Yes Pip (1). Cheaper, faster and to your front door, plus no GST.

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4
Pip Clement

January 27, 2010 at 10:55 pm

Long term I can see software, music and films moving to a digital sale online basis.
The customer pays and downloads the product to their device.
No physical product is ever delivered.
I guess it will impact high streets and shopping centres across the world.
Nobody in the States or the Civil Service seems to be thinking how this scenario would spell a serious blow for retail in Jersey.

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