EU: Retail trade volume up in February

By Yunus Girgin

ANKARA (AA) - The EU retail trade volume rose 2.9% in February on a monthly basis, the EU’s statistical authority said on Monday.

The retail trade volume also improved 3% in the euro zone in February versus January, Eurostat said.

The eurozone/euro area or EA19 represents member states that use the single currency – euro – while the EU27 includes all member countries of the bloc.

The volume of retail trade in the EU was up 6.2% for non-food products, and 2.4% for fuels, while it was down 0.8% for food, drinks, and tobacco in February.

In the euro zone side, the volume of retail trade expanded 6.8% for non-food products, and 3.7% for automotive fuels, but was down 1.1% for food, drinks and tobacco.

"Among member states for which data are available, the highest increases in total retail trade were registered in Austria (28.2%), Slovenia (16.4%) and Italy (8.4%)," Eurostat said.

The largest drops in February were seen in Malta (1.5%), France, and Hungary (both 1.2%).

- Annual comparison

"In February 2021 compared with February 2020, the calendar-adjusted volume of retail trade increased by 2.9% in the euro area and by 2.2% in the EU," it noted.

On a yearly basis, the volume of retail trade was up 1.9% for food, drinks, and tobacco, while it was down 13% for automotive fuels, and 5.5% for non-food products in the eurozone.

In the EU, retail trade volume rose 1.8% for food, drinks and tobacco, while it fell 11.9% for automotive fuels and 4% for non-food products.

Belgium (11%), Austria (5.2%), and Croatia (5.1%) posted the highest annual rises, while the largest drops were seen in Portugal (15.4%), Slovakia (14.7%), and Malta (8.9%).