In April 2024, the retail trade volume in the euro area and the EU decreased by 0.5% and 0.6% respectively compared to March 2024. This decline follows a period of growth in March 2024, where the retail trade volume increased by 0.7% and 0.6% in the euro area and the EU.
In April 2024, the calendar adjusted retail sales index in the euro area remained stable while showing a slight decrease of 0.1% in the EU compared to the previous year. Retail trade volume in the euro area decreased across sectors, with non-food products dropping by 0.1%. In the EU, retail trade volume for non-food products remained stable, according to Eurostat.
Latvia had the largest monthly decrease in retail trade volume at 3.3%, followed by Cyprus at 3.1% and Denmark at 2.7%. The highest increases were seen in Slovakia at 2.4%, Bulgaria and Austria both at 1.9%, and Portugal at 1.7%. In April 2024, the euro area saw a 0.4% increase in non-food products, excluding automotive fuel, compared to April 2023. In the EU, retail trade volume for non-food products increased by 0.1%.
Poland, Belgium, and Estonia saw the largest annual decreases in total retail trade volume, while Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Slovakia, and Luxembourg experienced the highest annual increases. Poland had a decrease of 7.3%, Belgium 5.8%, and Estonia 4.9%, whereas Bulgaria and Romania both had increases of 9.8%.
