In October, Malta registered Europe’s second highest decrease in retail trade volumes as compared to the same period last year.
According to estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, the calendar adjusted retail sales index increased by 4.3 per cent in the euro area and by 4.2 per cent in the EU in October 2020 compared with October 2019.
In the euro area in October 2020, compared with October 2019, the volume of retail trade increased by 5.4 per cent for non-food products. Within this category mail orders and internet increased by 28.5 per cent, while textiles, clothing and footwear decreased by 14.0 per cent. The volume of retail trade increased by 5.1 per cent for food, drinks and tobacco, while automotive fuel decreased by 9.6 per cent. In the EU, the retail trade volume increased by 5.7 per cent for non-food products (mail orders and internet +29.2 per cent, textiles, clothing and footwear -13.0 per cent) and by 4.6 per cent for food, drinks and tobacco, while automotive fuel decreased by 9.5 per cent.
Among Member States for which data are available, the highest yearly increases in the total retail trade volume were registered in Ireland (+13.8 per cent), Denmark (+12.5 per cent), Lithuania (+8.5 per cent). The largest decreases were observed in Slovenia (-11.1 per cent), Malta (-7.2 per cent) and Bulgaria (-5.3 per cent).
In October 2020, the seasonally adjusted volume of retail trade rose by 1.5 per cent in both the euro area and the EU, compared with September 2020. In September 2020, the retail trade volume fell by 1.7 per cent in the euro area and by 1.3 per cent in the EU.
In the euro area in October 2020, compared with September 2020, the volume of retail trade increased by 2.0 per cent for both non-food products and for food, drinks and tobacco, while automotive fuels fell by 3.7 per cent. In the EU, the volume of retail trade increased by 2.0 per cent for non-food products and by 1.9 per cent for food, drinks and tobacco while automotive fuels fell by 3.4 per cent.
Among Member States for which data are available, the highest increases in the total retail trade volume were observed in Denmark (+8.3 per cent), Croatia (+6.5 per cent) and France (+2.8 per cent), while decreases were registered in Slovenia (-1.4 per cent), Slovakia (-1.2 per cent), the Netherlands (-0.7 per cent) and Luxembourg (-0.3 per cent).
