EU’s retail sales were down 0.8% in March compared with February, EU’s statistics agency Eurostat said.
Among the member states for which data are available, total retail trade declined in thirteen and increased in eight. The largest decreases were observed in Portugal (-4.7%), Slovenia (-3%) and Germany (-2.1%), and the highest increases in Estonia (+2.1%), Romania, Ireland and Latvia (both +0.6%).
In March compared with the year-earlier month, Romanian retail sales fell 5%, the data showed, above the EU’s average monthly decrease of 1%.
Compared with March 2010, total retail trade fell in nine EU states and rose in twelve. The largest decreases were observed in Spain (-9.6%), Denmark (-8.7%) and Portugal (-6.8%), and the highest increases in Poland (+6.9%), Luxembourg (+5.7%) and Lithuania (+5.2%).