EU27 retail trade falls 0.3%, the euro area down by 0.6%

The volume of retail trade in March of the European Union’s 27 nation bloc (EU27) fell by 0.3% and the euro area (EA16) down by 0.6%. In February of this year, retail trade fell by 0.8% and 0.3% respectively, according to the European statistics.

Compared with the same period last year, the retail sales index decreased by 4.2% in the euro area and by 3.1% in the EU27 and the retail trade of “food, drinks and tobacco” dropped by 3.7% in the euro area and by 2.8% in the EU27. The non food sector fell by 3.7% and 3.0% respectively.

Compared with last month, the retail trade of “food, drinks and tobacco” fell by 1.4% in the euro area and by 0.8% in the EU27. The non food sector remained unchanged in the euro area and rose by 0.2% in the EU27.

Among the Member States for which data are available, total retail trade fell in ten countries, rose in six and remained unchanged in Denmark and Romania. The largest decreases were observed in Lithuania by4.3%, Poland 3.3%, Latvia 2.6%, Portugal 1.5% and Germany 1.0%. The largest increases in Slovenia by 6.8%, France1.1%, Estonia, Austria and the United Kingdom all by1.0%.

Compared with the same period last year, the retail trade of “Food, drinks and tobacco” dropped by 5.2% in the euro area and by 3.7% in the EU27. The non food sector fell by 1.9% and 1.6% respectively.

Among the member states for which data are available, total retail trade fell in fifteen countries and rose only in Belgium by 2.1%, Austria 2.0% and the United Kingdom by 0.8%. The largest decreases were observed in Latvia by 27.3%, Lithuania 21.1% and Estonia 16.6%.