Romania posts steepest retail volume drop in the EU this August, says Eurostat

Romania’s seasonally adjusted volume of retail trade feel by 0.6 percent in August m-o-m, this being the highest decrease in the EU, according to estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

Poland posted the same drop while the highest increases in total retail trade were reported in Germany and Luxembourg (both +2.5 percent), Portugal and Sweden (both +2.3 percent) and Poland (+2.2 percent).

Overall, the seasonally adjusted volume of retail trade rose by 1.2 percent in the euro area (EA18) and by 1.4 percent in the EU28 in August 2014 cpmapred to the previous month, according to Eurostat.

The 1.2 percent increase was generated by rises of 1.7 percent for automotive fuel, of 1.5 percent for the non-food sector and of 0.6 percent for “food, drinks and tobacco”. In the EU28, the 1.4 percent increase in retail trade was due to rises of 2.1 percent for the non-food sector, of 1.4 percent for automotive fuel and of 0.3 percent for “food, drinks and tobacco”, according to the same source.

In July retail trade fell by 0.4 percent in both zones.

In August 2014 compared with August 2013 the retail sales index increased by 1.9 percent in the euro area and by 2.5 percent in the EU28. The 1.9 percent increase in the volume of retail trade in the euro area in August 2014, compared with August 2013, was due to a rise of 3.6 percent for the non-food sector, while both “food, drinks and tobacco” and automotive fuel fell by 0.2 percent.

In the EU28, the 2.5 percent increase in retail trade was fueled by a rise of 4.9 percent for the non-food sector, while “food, drinks and tobacco” remained stable and automotive fuel decreased by 0.5 percent.

Total retail trade rose in all member states, with the highest increases reported in Luxembourg (+12.5 percent), Estonia (+6.7 percent) and the United Kingdom (+5.6 percent).

Simona Bazavan