Urbis Think Tank
Retail sales in Europe show signs of life – with online the star
After a dreadful 2009, and weak 2010, the latest European retail sales data for January 2011 are showing some positive signs.
In January 2011, compared with January 2010, the retail sales index increased by 0.7% in the euro area and by 1.9% in the EU27, according to Eurostats (the official EU bureau).
In contrast to Australia, food, drink and tobacco sales are down in the EU, falling 1.3% in Jan 2011 (v Jan 2010).
However, the big mover is the latest data for Mail orders and internet, which is up 13.5% in Dec 2010 (v Dec 2009).
The full Eurostats report can be accessed here.
