At the end of last year, retailers in the euro zone recorded a sales dampener in the Christmas business. In a monthly comparison, the industry’s revenues fell by 2.7 percent in December, as reported by the European statistical office Eurostat on Monday in Luxembourg. Economists had expected an average decline of 2.5 percent.
The setback follows a stronger-than-reported rise in November. Eurostat revised the increase upwards in November, to 1.2 percent mom from a previous 0.8 percent.
In December, 2.9 percent fewer sales were made of groceries than in the previous month. Non-grocery sales fell by 2.6 percent. The mail order and internet trade also turned over significantly less. Year-on-year, sales fell by 2.8 percent.
For 2022 as a whole, however, Eurostat reported an increase in retail sales in the euro zone. Accordingly, 0.7 percent more was implemented than in the previous year. (dpa)