According to the European statistical agency Eurostat, retail sales in the eurozone in December fell by 1.6% compared with November. Analysts had expected a decline of 0.9% month-on-month. On an annualized basis, retail sales in the eurozone in December increased by 1.3%, although analysts had expected growth of 2.4%. In all EU countries, retail sales in December decreased by 1.3% compared with November, and year-on-year – increased by 1.9%. The largest annual sales growth in December was recorded in Hungary (+ 6.1%), Romania (+ 8.5%), as well as in Malta (+ 5.9%). The decrease was recorded in Slovakia (-2.5%), Slovenia (-6.6%) and Finland (-1.6%).
