Eurozone retail sales declined more than expected in December, data from Eurostat revealed on Friday.
Retail trade decreased 3 percent month-on-month, in contrast to the 1 percent increase in November. This was the first fall in five months and much bigger than the economists’ forecast of -0.5 percent.
Sales of food, drinks and tobacco were down 0.3 percent, and non-food product sales declined more sharply by 5.2 percent. At the same time, automotive fuel in specialized stores grew 0.1 percent.
On a yearly basis, retail sales advanced 2.0 percent, which was weaker than November’s 8.2 percent surge and the expected growth rate of +5.1 percent.
In the EU27, retail sales decreased 2.8 percent on month but increased 2.6 percent annually in December.
The annual average level of retail trade for the year 2021 increased 5.0 percent in the euro area and by 5.5 percent in the EU.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Economic News
What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
