Retail Sales in Switzerland

Retail sales measure the volume of goods sold by Switzerland's retail outlets, food included. Published by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), they are one of the most important gauges of household consumption.

The FSO builds an index against a base year from the turnover reported by a sample of retailers. It is released in real terms (volume, deflated) and calendar- and seasonally-adjusted, as year-on-year and monthly changes.

It gives an early read on private consumption, the largest component of Swiss GDP, making it an input for growth estimates and for Swiss National Bank (SNB) decisions.

It is a volatile indicator, sensitive to seasonality, promotions and calendar effects. Preliminary data are revised as more survey responses come in.