Euro zone retail sales were flat in December despite it traditionally being one of the busiest months of the year, according to new Eurostat figures.
In the European Union as a whole, retail sales fell by 0.1 per cent during the month.
In December, food, drinks and tobacco sales rose 0.3 per cent in both the euro zone and the EU27. However, sales in the non-food sector dropped by 0.2 per cent and 0.3 per cent respectively.
The largest increases in sales during the month were recorded in Austria, France, Spain, Slovenia and Slovakia, while the biggest declines were in Romania, Malta and Portugal.
On a year-on-year basis, sales fell by 1.6 per cent in the euro zone and by 1 per cent in the EU27. The average volume of trade was down by 2.3 per cent and 1.7 per cent respectively.
Over the year, food, drinks and tobacco sales gained 0.1 per cent in the euro zone and 0.6 per cent in the EU27. However, in the non-food sector, sales declined by 2.2 per cent and 1.4 per cent respectively.
The highest increases in annual sales were recorded in Poland, Sweden and Austria, with the largest decreases in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
