Eurozone retail volumes fall in April as fuel sales drop

(Sharecast News) - Eurozone retail sales declined in April after growing in March by the most in 19 months, according to data out on Thursday from Eurostat. The volume of retail trade across the single-currency region was down 0.4% over the month, slightly worse than the 0.3% decline expected by economists.

However, figures for March were revised to show 0.8% growth during the month, its highest since August 2024 and a turnaround from last month's initial estimate which showed a 0.1% monthly drop.

According to Eurostat, retail sales of food, drinks and tobacco increased by 0.9% in April, though this was offset by a 2.7% slump in automotive fuel sales and a 0.9% decrease in the sales of non-food products (excluding fuel).

Across member states, Belgium and Slovakia recorded the largest monthly declines in retail sales, with both countries seeing a 1.8% drop, while the biggest increases were seen in Lithuania (+1.9%), Malta (+1.0%) and France (+0.3%).