General dealers help to up retail sales

Johannesburg - Retail trade sales increased by 2.4% year-on-year in May 2014, Statistics SA said on Wednesday.

"The main contributors to the 2.4% increase were general dealers contributing 1.0 percentage point and retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods contributing 0.9 of a percentage point," Stats SA said.

"Seasonally adjusted retail trade sales increased by 0.8% month-on-month in May 2014. This followed month-on-month changes of 0.4% in April 2014 and -1.1% in March 2014."

The highest annual growth rates were recorded for all "other" retailers with 4.2% and retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods with 3.9%, Stats SA said.

Retail trade sales increased by 1.8% in the three months ended May 2014, compared with the three months ended May 2013.

The main contributors to this increase were retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods, and general dealers.