Retail sales volume grew by 0.4% in euro area and by 0.3% in EU28 in May compared to April, according to the data released by Eurostat.
In the euro area, Retail trade gained 0.3% and in EU28, it remained stable.
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Compared with the data from May 2013, the retail sales index increased by 2.4% in the euro area and rose by 2.5% in the EU28.
Month-on-month, sales of food, drinks and tobacco grew by 0.5% in both euro area EU28 in May, while sales in non food sector gained by 0.3% in the euro area and by 0.2% in EU28.
Among the member states for which data are available, retail sales increased in Germany, Austria, Poland, and Estonia, while highest decreases were observed in Finland, Portugal, Malta and Spain.
Year-on-year, sales of food, drinks and tobacco increased by 2% in the euro area and by 1.8% in the EU28 in May 2014 as compared with the previous year. The non-food sector increased by 3% in euro area and rose by 3.5% in EU28.
By region, highest retail sales were observed in Luxembourg, Romania, Estonia, and France, while sales fell in Slovenia, Finland, and Malta.
