Eurozone retail sales grew in December for the first time in four months, led by increased spending on food and drinks during the holiday season.
Retail sales rose a calendar-and-seasonally adjusted 0.3 percent in December, data from Eurostat showed, in line with economists’ expectations. The 0.3 percent fall reported earlier for November was revised to zero.
Sales increased 0.6 percent in the food, drinks and tobacco group and 0.2 percent in the non-food excluding auto-fuel segment.
Year-on-year, retail sales rose 1.4 percent in December after a 1.6 percent gain in November, which was revised from 1.4 percent. Economists were looking for 1.5 percent growth for December.
The average retail trade for the year 2015, compared with 2014, rose by 2.4 percent in the euro area, the agency added.
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