Malta registers 5.3% increase in retail trade

Malta registered a 5.3% increase in retail trade in August 2015 compared to August 2014, according to Eurostat figures.

The figures place Malta among the countries with the highest increases in the volume of retail trade, alongside Portugal  with a 1.5% increase, Ireland with a 0.9% and Poland with a 0.8% increase.

According to figures, the countries with the largest decreases were Luxembourg  with 1.5% decrease, Sweden with a 1.2% drop and  Estonia and Finland with a 1.1% drop each.

Eurostat added that August 2015 compared with July 2015, saw the seasonally adjusted volume of retail trade remain stable in both the euro area and the European member states in general, according to estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In July retail trade rose by 0.6% and 0.4% respectively.

Statistics show that in August 2015 compared with August 2014 the retail sales index increased by 2.3% in the euro area and by 2.6% in the EU in general.

According to figures, the stable volume of retail trade in the euro area in August 2015, compared with July 2015, is due to rises of 1.8% for automotive fuel and of 0.8% for “Food, drinks and tobacco”, while non-food products fell by 0.3%. Furthermore, in the EU in general, stable volume of retail trade is due to rises of 1.4% for automotive fuel and of 0.5% for “Food, drinks and tobacco”, while non-food products fell by 0.2%.

According to figures, the 2.3% increase in the volume of retail trade in the euro area in August 2015, compared with August 2014, is due to rises of 3.6% for automotive fuel, of 2.5% for “Food, drinks and tobacco” and of 2.0% for non-food products, while in the EU in general, the 2.6% increase in retail trade volume is due to rises of 3.3% for automotive fuel, of 2.7% for non-food products and of 2.5% for “Food, drinks and tobacco”.