Covid-19: Volume of retail trade up by 2.0% in euro area

Covid-19: In December 2020, the seasonally adjusted volume of retail trade rose by 2.0% in the euro area and by 1.4% the EU, compared with November 2020, according to estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

In November 2020, the retail trade volume fell by 5.7% in the euro area and by 4.9% in the EU.

In December 2020 compared with December 2019, the calendar adjusted volume of retail trade increased by 0.6%

in the euro area and by 0.5% in the EU.

The annual average retail trade for the year 2020, compared with 2019, fell by 1.2% in the euro area and by 0.8%

in the EU.

Monthly comparison by retail sector and by Member State

In the euro area in December 2020, compared with November 2020, the volume of retail trade increased by 5.1%

for automotive fuels, by 1.9% for food, drinks and tobacco and by 1.5% for non-food products (within this category

textile, clothing and footwear increased by 12.4%).

In the EU, the volume of retail trade increased by 4.0% for automotive fuels, by 1.7% for food, drinks and tobacco and by 0.7% for non-food products (textile, clothing and footwear +10.0%).

Among Member States for which data are available, the highest increases in the total retail trade volume were

observed in France (+22.3%), Belgium (+15.9%) and Ireland (+11.4%). The largest decreases were registered in

the Netherlands (-10.9%), Germany (-9.6%) and Denmark (-8.0%).

Annual comparison by retail sector

In the euro area in December 2020, compared with December 2019, the volume of retail trade increased by 5.6%

for food, drinks and tobacco, while it decreased by 0.8% for non-food products (within this category textiles, clothes and footwear decreased by 29.0%) and by 14.1% for automotive fuels.

In the EU, the retail trade volume increased by 5.0% for food, drinks and tobacco, while it decreased by 0.6% for non-food products (textiles, clothes and footwear -28.4%) and by 12.9% for automotive fuels.

Among Member States for which data are available, the highest yearly increases in the total retail trade volume were registered in Ireland (+11.1%), France (+9.1%) and Estonia (+5.9%). The largest decreases were observed in Slovenia (-13.3%), Bulgaria (-12.0%) and the Netherlands (-5.7%)