Eurozone retail sales unexpectedly fall

(Sharecast News) - Eurozone retail sales unexpectedly fell for the first time in five months in March, according to data released by Eurostat on Wednesday. Retail trade volumes were 0.1% lower over the course of the month, following a 0.2% increase in February and no growth over November to January.

This was the first drop since a 0.3% decline in October and missed the consensus forecast for no growth.

Sales of food, drinks and tobacco fell by 0.1% over the month, while non-food products sales also slipped 0.1%. Automotive fuel sales however rose by 0.4%.

Malta and Belgium recorded the highest monthly growth among member states, at +2.0% and +1.4% respectively, while Slovenia and Estonia experienced the sharpest falls at -2.0% and -1.3%, respectively.

Compared with a year earlier, retail sales across the single-currency region were just 1.5% higher in March, with growth slowing from 1.9% in February. This was the lowest rate of annual growth since July 2024.