Annual growth rate in retail sales slows in March: Data
ANKARA
Retail sales grew by 9.2 percent year-on-year in March, slowing from the 12.2 percent increase recorded in the previous month, data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) showed on May 12.
Retail sales declined 1.4 monthly in March, after rising 1.2 percent in February.
Excluding watch and gold, the annual increase in retail sales was 7.3 percent, accelerating from the 6.9 percent rise in February.
TÜİK said on May 12 that to better assess household consumption demand, the retail trade sales volume data now excludes watches and jewelry.
Food, drinks and tobacco sales, which surged 13.4 percent year-on-year in February, increased by 8 percent in March but fell 1 percent monthly, showed TÜİK data.
Non-food sales were up 10.6 percent compared to March 2024, however, declined 2 percent from February 2025.
Electronic goods and furniture fell 0.6 percent annually, while computer and book sales grew 16.8 percent from a year ago.
Sales via mail orders and the internet rose by 3 percent compared to March last year but were down 0.4 percent month-on-month.
The headline trade sales volume index increased 10.8 percent year-on-year, the data showed.
TÜİK also reported on May 12 that the combined turnover of the industry, construction, trade and services sectors rose by 33.4 percent annually in March, after advancing 32.1 percent in February.
Turnover rose by 25.1 percent in the industry sector and 26.3 percent in construction, while annual increases in the trade and services sectors were 37.8 percent and 35.9 percent, respectively.
The monthly increase in the index accelerated from 3.5 percent to 4.2 percent.
