Euro zone retail sales fell slightly in February, dropping 0.1% from the level in January, European Union figures showed today.
On a 12-month basis, retail sales fell 2.1% in February from the figure for the same month last year, according to the Eurostat statistics agency.
The drop followed a monthly increase of 1.1% in January across the euro zone.
The biggest declines were recorded in Slovenia (5%) and Poland (2.7%).
The strongest increases were seen in Malta (4.7%) and Luxembourg (2.2%).
In the wider, 27-nation EU, which includes Britain, retail sales fell 0.4% in February compared to the figure for January. On a 12-month comparison, they declined by 1.1%.
