Retail sales in the eurozone at a standstill

The retail sector in the eurozone recorded sales at exactly the same level in September as one year previously. Retail sales rose by 2.0 per cent in the entire European Union with all its 25 member states. This is revealed by the first estimates from the EU Statistical Office (Eurostat). The non-food sector in the eurozone shrank by 0.2 per cent compared with September 2003, whereas it increased by 2.6 per cent in the enlarged EU of 25 states. Considerable differences were evident between individual countries. For instance, the overall retail sector in Denmark achieved an increase of almost nine per cent, while there was a decrease of 1.8 per cent in Germany.
The Bloomberg news agency publishes its retail index for the eurozone about one month before Eurostat and is already presenting the figures for October. It establishes a drop in sales for the third month running. As the report states further, the wholesale prices for retailers rose strongly in October, which puts pressure on profit margins. There is not even room for any more price cuts, in view of the weakness of sales and the strength of the competition.
You can find Eurostat’s detailed statistics on the retail trade at DIYglobal plus under the Market Data heading (v. Other Articles on this Topic as well).