Eurozone retail sales slip back into rut
(BRUSSELS) - Retailers in the 16 nations using the euro saw their sales fall in May, renewing a slump that was broken in April by a short-lived improvement, according to official EU data on Friday.
The volume of retail sales in the eurozone dipped 0.4 percent in May over one month and 3.3 percent over one year, the European Union's Eurostat data agency said.
The result wiped out a minor improvement booked in April when retail sales finally rose after months of steady decline, edging up 0.1 percent over one month and reducing the fall over one year to 2.5 percent.
Retailers also suffered a setback in the broader EU in May, as sales across the bloc's 27 nations fell 0.5 percent over one month and 3.1 percent over one year.
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