In the European Union, retail sales increased by 0.1 percent year-on-year in June, while in the eurozone it decreased by 0.9 percent, according to the latest data from Eurostat.
Among the member countries for which data was available, 7 recorded a decline in retail sales compared to June 2012, while 15 saw an increase.
The largest decline in retail sales was recorded in Spain, at 6.9 percent, followed by Slovenia at 3.6 percent, and Romania at 3.1 percent. The largest increase in sales, on the other hand, was achieved in Luxembourg, at 27.5 percent, Lithuania at 6.7 percent, and Poland at 5.5 percent.
On a monthly basis, retail sales in the 27-member EU fell by 0.3 percent in June, while in the eurozone it decreased by 0.5 percent.
The eurozone is in its longest recession since the introduction of the euro in 1999, which has led to record-high unemployment in the bloc, and households have increasingly less disposable income for consumption. As a result, consumption has been weakening for some time, negatively impacting the economy as it cannot recover without a strengthening of consumption.
