ISTANBUL
Euro area retail sales fell 0.1% in September from a month ago, despite market expectations, according to official data released by Eurostat on Thursday.
The decline in the eurozone followed a downwardly revised 0.1% drop in August, while the market expectation was a monthly increase of 0.2% in September.
In the EU, the retail trade remained stable from the previous month in September.
The highest decline in sales volumes in the euro area was seen in sales of automotive fuel in specialized stores, down 1% on a monthly basis.
The sales volumes in September also fell 0.2% for non-food products (except automotive fuel), while they were stable for food, drinks, and tobacco.
Among EU members for which data are available, the largest monthly declines were seen in Lithuania (-1.1%), Latvia and Slovenia (-0.7% both), and Italy (-0.6%).
The largest rises were in Luxembourg and Malta (both up 1.7%), Estonia (1.5%), and Slovakia (1.4%).
On an annual basis, retail sales grew 1% in the euro area and 1.3% in the EU, matching market forecasts.
The eurozone/euro area, or EA20, is made up of member states that use the bloc's single currency, the euro, whereas the EU27 includes all member countries.