Brussels, 04/12/2009 (Agence Europe) - In October 2009, the volume of retail trade sales remained stable in the eurozone and rose by 0.3% in the EU27 compared to September 2009, when these levels fell by 0.5% and 0.3% respectively. Compared to the same period of the year 2008, the sales index is down 1.3% in the eurozone and 0.9% in the EU27, according to data published on Thursday 3 December by Eurostat.
Taken monthly, the "food, drink and tobacco" sector declined by 0.3% in the eurozone and remained stable in the EU27, whereas the non-food sector was more robust, growing by 0.3% and 0.7% respectively. Looking at individual countries, retail trade sales grew in 11 member states and fell in 6. The greatest increases were observed in Lithuania (+1.9%), Portugal (+1.7%) and Poland (+1.6%), and the sharpest drops in Romania (-1.9%), Slovakia (-1.7%) and Latvia (-1.3%).
Taken annually, the "food, drink and tobacco in the sector declined by 1.6% in the eurozone and by 0.8% in the EU27. The non-food sector declined by 1.3% in the eurozone, but grew by 0.1% in the EU27. Of the member states for which data are available, retail trade sales grew in 5 and fell in 12. The largest increases were to be observed in Belgium (+4.4%), Sweden (+4.1%) and in Poland (+3.9%), and the greatest drops in Latvia (-29.1%), Lithuania (-24.7%) and in Estonia (-18.8%). (A.B./transl.fl)