Euro area retail trade falls more than expected in April

Retail trade volume in the euro area fell 0.4% month-on-month in April, reversing part of the previous month’s gain, Eurostat said Thursday.

The markets had expected the sales to fall 0.3% in April.

The EU’s statistical office said retail trade volume also decreased 0.5% in the EU compared with March.

In March, retail trade volume had risen 0.8% in the euro area and 1.1% in the EU.

On an annual basis, the calendar-adjusted retail sales index increased 1.0% in the euro area and 0.9% in the EU compared with April 2025.

In the euro area, the monthly decline was driven by a 2.7% drop in automotive fuel sales in specialized stores and a 0.9% fall in non-food products, excluding automotive fuel. Sales of food, drinks and tobacco rose 0.9%.

Across the EU, automotive fuel sales fell 2.4% month-on-month, while non-food products decreased 1.2%. Food, drinks and tobacco sales increased 0.5%.

Among member states with available data, the sharpest monthly decreases in total retail trade volume were recorded in Denmark, down 4.5%, Romania, down 2.6%, and Belgium and Slovakia, both down 1.8%.

Monthly increases were seen in Lithuania, up 1.9%, Malta, up 1.0%, and France, up 0.3%.

Compared with April 2025, euro area retail trade rose 2.0% for non-food products and 0.6% for food, drinks and tobacco, while automotive fuel sales fell 3.5%.

In the EU, non-food products increased 1.8% annually and food, drinks and tobacco edged up 0.2%, while automotive fuel sales declined 2.0%.

The highest annual increases in total retail trade volume were recorded in Lithuania, up 8.9%, Bulgaria, up 7.4%, and Luxembourg, up 6.6%.

The largest annual decreases were observed in Romania, down 5.7%, Belgium, down 2.1%, and Austria, down 0.6%.