The volume of retail trade fell by 0.6 percent in the euro area and by 0.5 percent in the European Union in June 2015 compared with May 2015, according to estimates from Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office. In May retail trade increased by 0.1 percent and 0.2 percent respectively.

The biggest drops came in food, drinks, and tobacco. Non-food items fell slightly while automotive fuel sales remained stable in the euro zone but dropped 0.4 percent in the EU.

Among EU member states, the largest decreases in total retail trade were registered in Germany (-2.3 percent), Slovenia (-1.6 percent) and Poland (-1.4 percent). The highest increases came in Romania (+1.7 percent), Austria (+1.3 percent) and Denmark (+1.1 percent).

Year over year, there was a 1.2-percent increase in the volume of retail trade in the euro area in June 2015, compared with June 2014, due to rises of 2.3 percent for non-food products, 1.8 percent for automotive fuel, and of 0.1 percent for food, drinks, and tobacco. In the EU, a 2.0-percent increase was registered due to rises of 3.4 percent for non-food products, 1.4 percent for automotive fuel, and of 0.8 percent for food, drinks, and tobacco.

Among Member States, the highest increases in total retail trade were observed in Romania (+7.9 percent), Lithuania (+7.1 percent) and Latvia (+6.8 percent), while decreases came in Luxembourg (-9.9 percent) and Finland (-0.2 percent).

The euro area includes 19 countries that have adopted the euro currency: Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia and Finland. The European Union comprises 28 member states.