Volume of EU retail trade down by 0.1% in Euro Area Up by 0.3% in EU28
In September 2015compared with August 2015, the seasonally adjusted volume of retail trade decreased by 0.1 % in the Euro Area (EA19) and rose by 0.3 % in the EU28 , according to estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In August retail trade remained stable in both zones. In September 2015 compared with September2014 the retail sales index increased by 2.9 % in the Euro area and by 3.7 % in the EU28
Monthly comparison by retail sector and by Member State
The 0.1% decrease in the volume of retail trade in the Euro area in September 2015, compared with August 2015, is due to a fall of 0.6 % for “Food, drinks and tobacco”, while automotive fuel remained stable and non-food products rose by 0.1%.
In the EU28 , the 0.3% increase in the volume of retail trade is due to rises of 0.4 % for both automotive fuel and non-food products, while “Food, drinks and tobacco” remained stable.
Among Member States for which data are available, the highest increases in total retail trade were registered in the United Kingdom (+2.0 %), Romania (+1.7%), Malta (+1.1 %) and Ireland (+0.9 %), and the largest decreases in Portugal (-2.2 %), Belgium, Denmark, Latvia and Poland (all -0.7 %).
Annual comparison by retail sector and by Member State
The 2.9 % increase in the volume of retail trade in the Euro area in September 2015, compared with September2014, is due to rises of 5.3 % for automotive fuel, of 4.0 % for non-food products and of 1.6 % for “Food, drinks and tobacco”.
In the EU28, the 3.7 % increase in retail trade volume is due to rises of 5.3 % for automotive fuel, of 4.9 % for non-food products and of 2.3 % for “Food, drinks and tobacco”. Among Member States for which data are available, the highest increases in total retail trade were observed in Romania(+12.0 %), Ireland(+8.0%), Poland and the United Kingdom (both +6.3 %), while decreases were observed in Luxembourg (-11.8 %), Bulgaria (-2.5 %) and Slovenia (-0.4 %).