Retail sales decreased in the euro area in July

The statistical office of the European Union, Eurostat, announced on Wednesday that in July retail sales in the euro area shrank by 0.2 percent and in the European Union by 0.3 percent compared to June, when both the euro area and the EU saw a 0.2 percent increase in sales. registered compared to May.

In an annual comparison, retail turnover in the euro area fell by 1 percent in July, the same as in June, while in the EU it shrank by 1.2 percent in July after a 1.1 percent decrease in June.

Analysts in the euro zone expected a larger, 1.2 percent annual decline and a smaller, 0.1 percent monthly decline for July.