March Sees a Marginal Decline in Eurozone Retail Sales

According to Eurostat's latest report, retail trade in both the Eurozone and the European Union experienced a slight decrease of 0.1% in March compared to the previous month. However, when compared to the same period last year, the euro area saw a 1.5% increase in retail trade, with the EU recording a slightly lower growth of 1.4%.

Varied Performance Across Different Retail Sectors

The report highlights a mixed performance across different retail sectors. Sales volumes for food, drinks, and tobacco saw a minor decline of 0.1% in the euro area and a 0.4% drop in the EU. Non-food products also experienced a slight decrease of 0.1% in the Eurozone, but interestingly, the EU saw a 0.1% increase. On a brighter note, automotive fuel sales in specialized stores rose by 0.4% across both regions.

Country-Specific Retail Sales Trends

Among the member states, Slovenia faced the sharpest decline with a 2% drop in retail sales, followed by Estonia at 1.3% and Slovakia at 0.9%. Conversely, Malta led the pack with a significant 2% increase in retail sales, with Belgium and Croatia also showing positive growth at 1.4%.