Turkey: Retail sales volume down 3.7% in May

By Muhammed Ali Gurtas

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's calendar-adjusted retail sales volume with constant prices dropped 3.7% year-on-year in May this year, the country's statistical authority announced Wednesday.

"In the same month food, drinks and tobacco sales decreased by 3%," TurkStat said.

Excluding automotive fuel, non-food sales fell 2.3%, while automotive fuel sales decreased 7.8% over the same period.

Retail sales volume of computers, books and telecommunications equipment declined 7.2%, as electronic goods and furniture sales volume narrowed 20.7%, annually.

Textiles, clothing and footwear sales volume went up 23.2%, while medical goods and cosmetic sales volume surged 4.9%.

The institute added that non-food sales volume via mail orders and the Internet jumped 32.1% on a yearly basis in May.