By Tuba Ongun
Retail sales in the eurozone rose at a slower pace than expected in February, according to official data released on Monday.
The volume of retail trade increased by 0.3% compared to the previous month, following stagnation in January, data from Eurostat showed.
Sales volumes rose by 0.3% for both food, beverages, and tobacco, as well as for non-food products (excluding automotive fuel). Automotive fuel sales edged up by 0.2%.
On an annual basis, retail sales in the euro area grew by 2.3% in February.
The eurozone/euro area, or EA19, represents EU member states that use the bloc's single currency, the euro, while the2 EU7 includes all of its member countries.
For the entire EU, retail sales climbed 0.2% month-on-month and 2% year-on-year.
The highest monthly hikes were recorded in the Greek Cypriot administration (4.7%), Estonia (2.2%), and Lithuania (1.7%), while the largest decreases were seen in Bulgaria (minus 1.7%), the Netherlands (minus 1.4%), and Poland (minus 1.2%).