Recently published figures show a overall jump of 30.2% in retail sales in May 2020 compared to April 2020.
![Swiss retail sales up 30% in May after COVID-19 measures eased](https://i1.wp.com/lenews.ch/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Shoes_©-Nora-Tarvus-_-Dreamstime.com_.jpg?fit=600%2C400&ssl=1)
May’s rise of 30.2% follows falls of 6.5% in March and 13.7% in April.
However not all retail sectors experienced the same rise in May sales. Food, drink and tobacco sales rose 3.4% and fuel sales were up 6.3% month on month. Clothing and shoe sales were up a whopping 433.5% compared to April.
Clothing and shoe sales fell 55.4% and 61.0% in March and April, so a steep rise in May (433.5%) was not unexpected.
Food, drink and tobacco sales were up 6.8% in March and down 1.7% in April. The rise of 3.4% in May left retail sales of these products solidly up over three months.
May’s rise (6.3%) in fuel sales failed to make up for lost sales in March (-19.8%) and April (-22.5%). But consumers were never going to make up for driving they didn’t do in March and April in May.
Online sales only rose 2.0% in May, after rising 7.3% in March and 15.6% in April.
More on this:
Government press release (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
For more stories like this on Switzerland follow us on Facebook and Twitter.