Solution

>>> import numpy as np

>>> A = np.genfromtxt("shop_sales_figures_extended.txt", usecols=(1,3,4), dtype=None)

>>> A

array([[b'Frankfurt', b'Munich', b'Zurich'],

[b'1245.89', b'2220.00', b'1936.25'],

[b'1289.99', b'2405.14', b'2064.32'],

[b'1379.04', b'1984.90', b'1879.30'],

[b'1450.89', b'2178.34', b'2027.51'],

[b'1680.98', b'2163.86', b'2147.96'],

[b'1860.33', b'2079.97', b'2201.28'],

[b'2103.54', b'2310.92', b'2466.17'],

[b'2354.54', b'2360.46', b'2634.07'],

[b'2648.10', b'2433.92', b'2839.12'],

[b'2971.56', b'2566.19', b'3093.72'],

[b'3338.08', b'2661.59', b'3351.77'],

[b'3747.93', b'2774.12', b'3643.60'],

[b'4209.09', b'2901.24', b'3972.25'],

[b'4726.47', b'3026.45', b'4331.24'],

[b'5307.72', b'3162.80', b'4732.13']],

dtype='|S9')