By Mucahithan Avcioglu
ISTANBUL (AA) - Euro area retail sales rose 0.1% in April compared to a month ago, slightly below expectations, according to official data released Friday.
In the EU, sales climbed by 0.7% in the same month. The market expectation for the euro area was a growth of 0.2% month-on-month in April.
The highest increase in sales volumes in the euro area was seen in sales of automotive fuel in specialized stores, rising by 1.3% on a monthly basis.
Sales volumes also increased by 0.6% for food, drinks, and tobacco in April.
On the other hand, sales volumes for non-food products (except automotive fuel) dropped 0.3% in April.
Among EU members for which data are available, the highest monthly hikes were seen in Poland (7.5%), Sweden and Slovakia (both 2.4%), and Belgium (2.1%).
Conversely, the largest falls were in Germany (down 1.1%), Malta (down 1%), and the Netherlands (down 0.4%).
On an annual basis, retail sales grew by 2.3% in the euro area and by 2.8% in the EU in April.
The eurozone/euro area, or EA20, is made up of member states that use the bloc's single currency, the euro, whereas the EU27 includes all member countries.