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In March 2013 compared with February 2013, the volume of retail trade fell by 0.1 percent in the euro area and by 0.2 percent in the EU 27, according to estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. This February retail trade went down by 0.2 percent in the euro area, but rose by 0.1 percent in the EU27. In March 2013 the retail sales index dropped by 2.4 percent m-o-m in the euro area and by 1.6 percent in the EU27.
In Romania the volume of retail trade fell by 0.6 percent in March 2013 (change compared with the previous month) and by 2.5 percent in February after in January it increased by 4.2 percent.
In March 2013, compared with February 2013, the ‘Food, drinks and tobacco’ category rose by 0.8 percent in the euro area and by 1.0 percent in the EU27. The non food sector decreased by 0.5 percent (euro area) and 0.6 percent (EU27).
Total retail trade fell in nine member states, rose in eleven and remained stable in Austria. The largest decreases were registered in Portugal (-3.0 percent), Slovenia (-2.6 percent) and Ireland (-1.9 percent), and the highest increases in Estonia (+2.7 percent), Latvia (+2.1 percent) and Finland (+1.3 percent).
In March 2013, compared with March 2012, ‘Food, drinks and tobacco’ fell by 1.2 percent in the euro area and by 0.6 percent in the EU27. The non food sector dropped by 3.3 percent and 2.0 percent respectively.
Total retail trade fell in fourteen and rose in seven member states. The largest decreases were observed in Spain (-10.5 percent), Slovenia (7.7 percent) and Portugal (-5.9 percent), and the highest increases in Latvia (+8.8 percent), Lithuania (+4.5 percent) and Sweden (+3.0 percent).
Simona Bazavan