Latest Eurostat figures

In October 2004 the volume of sales for the retail trade in the euro-zone fell by 0.2 per cent compared with the same time last year, but increased by 1.5 per cent in the EU25. This is the picture that emerges from the initial estimates published today by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. Compared with September 2004, the retail trade index in the euro-zone rose by 0.7 per cent and by 0.3 per cent in the EU25. Of the Member States for which data are available, Denmark (+10 per cent), the United Kingdom (+5.6 per cent), Portugal (+4.4 per cent), Sweden (+3.5 per cent), Poland (+3.0 per cent), France (+2.3 per cent) and Spain (+0.2 per cent) recorded an increase in overall retail sales. Sales were down in Belgium (-1.7 per cent) and Germany (-1.1 per cent).