Retail trade in Malta and euro area shows signs of recovery in May

In May 2020, when Member States began easing the COVID-19 containment measures, the seasonally adjusted volume of retail trade increased by 17.8% in the euro area and by 16.4% in the EU, compared with April 2020, according to estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

In April 2020, the retail trade volume had decreased by 12.1% in the euro area and by 11.4% in the EU. In May 2020 compared with May 2019, the calendar adjusted retail sales index decreased by 5.1% in the euro area and by 4.2% in the EU.

Malta registered a similarly positive result, as it recovered 11.4% in May, after a staggering 24.3% decrease during the previous month. However, when compared to May 2019, the volume of retail trade was still at 11% less.

The volume of retail trade increased in all Member States for which data are available, except in Bulgaria, where it remained unchanged. The highest increases were registered in Luxembourg (+28.6%), France (+25.6%) and Austria (+23.3%).

CDE News  – Data: Eurostat