Retail still has some way to go

According to StatsSA, the main negative contributor to this decrease was general dealers, contributing -1.3 percentage points.

Negative annual growth rates were recorded for retailers in hardware, paint, and glass (-7.4%), household furniture, appliances, and equipment (-5.2%), all 'other retailers' (-3.6%) and general dealers (-3.0%).

However, seasonally adjusted retail trade sales increased by 4.9% in August when compared to July. This followed month-on-month changes of -11.1% in July and 0.7% in June. In the three months ended August, seasonally adjusted retail trade sales decreased by 4.1% compared with the prior three months.

Retail trade sales increased by 2.6% in the three months ended August compared with the three months ended August 2020 with the main positive contributors to this increase general dealers (2.3%, contributing 1.0 percentage point), all 'other retailers' (10%, contributing 0.9 of a percentage point) and retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear, and leather goods (6.0%, contributing 0.9% of a percentage point).