August 2017: Volume of retail trade down by 0.5% in euro area

04 October 2017

In August 2017 compared with July 2017, the seasonally adjusted volume of retail trade fell by 0.5% in the euro area (EA19), while it remained stable in the EU28, according to estimates from Eurostat.

Monthly comparison by retail sector and by Member State

The 0.5% decrease in the volume of retail trade in the euro area in August 2017, compared with July 2017, is due to falls of 0.9% for automotive fuel, of 0.4% for non-food products and of 0.3% for “Food, drinks and tobacco”. In the EU28, the stable volume of retail trade is due to decreases of 0.5% for automotive fuel and of 0.1% for “Food, drinks and tobacco”, while non-food products rose by 0.2%. Among Member States for which data are available, the largest decreases in the total retail trade volume were registered in Portugal (-1.3%), Austria (-1.0%) and Belgium (-0.9%), while the highest increases were observed in Romania (+2.3%), the United Kingdom (+1.9%) and Malta (+1.5%). 

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© Eurostat