Dutch shops had their best year since 2008 in 2015, with overall retail sales rising 1.4%, the national statistics office CBS said on Thursday.

Supermarket sales rose 2% but furniture shops had the highest growth in turnover at 6.7%. Internet shops continued to rise, with sales up by one-fifth over 2015 as a whole. That is almost double the 2014 figure.

December sales were up 3.3%, buoyed by the Sinterklaas and Christmas celebrations. Speciality foods shops also benefited from the festivities, with a 5.6% rise in sales, the CBS said.