Local retailers indicated that the past six months had not been the greatest among their recent trading years.
Shoprite disappointed the market with a 7.6 percent rise in retail sales at its local supermarkets for the six months to December, compared with an 11.5 percent rise in the previous corresponding period.
Fashion retailer Truworths delivered a poor trading update, with retail sales growing 7.1 percent to R5.9 billion for the six months to December, less than half the 14.8 percent pace recorded a year earlier.
Beauty and health-care retailer Clicks recorded year-on-year sales growth of 11.6 percent to R7.7bn in the 21 weeks to January 19 compared with sales growth of 11.7 percent in the 18-week period to December 30, 2012.
The retailer said sales were affected by consumers delaying shopping until after Christmas.
Most also attributed some slow growth in sales to business closures in honour of Nelson Mandela’s funeral. – Business Report