Euro zone retail sales rebounded more than expected in November, data showed today, thanks to more sales of fuel at petrol stations, the European Union's statistics office Eurostat said.
Eurostat said the volume of retail sales in the 19 countries sharing the euro last November rose 0.8% month-on-month, rebounding from a 1.5% slump the previous month, for a 2.8% year-on-year decline.
Economists polled by Reuters had expected a 0.5% monthly rise and a 3.3% year-on-year fall.
The volume of sales of automotive fuel in specialised stores rose 1.0% month-on-month in November, and 4.4% year-on-year helping to limit the downward pull on the index from falling sales of other products.
Retail sales are a proxy for consumer demand which has suffered from high energy prices that triggered a record surge in consumer inflation.
