Preliminary data released by the Federal Statistics Office in Wiesbaden on Thursday showed that August 2009 retail sales were down 2.6 percent over the same period a year ago.

The figures are based on data collated from seven German states, representing roughly 76 percent of all German retail sales for that period.

Separated by sector, the retail food industry was down 1.0 percent over August of last year, while non-foods overall slipped 3.5 percent. However, here, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and medical supplies actually expanded 2.5 percent.

The steepest declines hit the Internet and mail-order sectors with a precipitous drop in sales of 8.3 percent. Jewelry and books slipped 4.8 percent, while department store sales were down 4.0 percent, the same as textiles, clothing and shoes.

For the period January through August 2009, German retail sales were down 2.0 percent on the year.

gb/dpa/AFP/Reuters
Editor: Nancy Isenson