The annual increases in July-September are half the level recorded in the previous period, considering that this field reported an 8.1% year-on-year advance in June, a 7% increase in May and a 7.2% rise in April.
September figures for Romania are close to those for other Eastern European countries, such as Slovakia (3.6%) and Latvia (3.5%).
Among Member States for which data are available, the highest yearly increases in the total retail trade volume were registered in Ireland (+10.2%), Lithuania (+7.9%) and Poland (+6.5%). The largest decreases were observed in Belgium (-2.2%), Spain and Austria (both -1.5%).
In the euro area in September 2018, compared with September 2017, the volume of retail trade increased by 1.1% for automotive fuels, by 0.9% for food, drinks and tobacco, and by 0.7% for non-food products. In the EU28, the retail trade volume increased by 2.0% for non-food products, by 1.9% for automotive fuel and by 1.0% for food, drinks and tobacco.
In September 2018 compared with September 2017, the calendar adjusted retail sales index increased by 0.8% in the euro area and by 1.5% in the EU28.
Euler Hermes, a credit insurance company that offers a wide range of bonding, guarantees and collections services for the management of business-to-business trade receivables, estimates Romania’s modern retail market at EUR17-20 billion, with Kaufland, Carrefour, Lidl and Auchan being the leading retailers in the profile sector by turnover.