Eurozone retail sales edge lower in September

Eurozone retail sales declined unexpectedly in September, data released on Thursday showed.

According to Eurostat, the European Union’s statistics office, retail sales in the 19-country bloc fell 0.1% month-on-month in September, compared with analysts’ expectations for a 0.2% gain and with a flat reading in August.

On a year-on-year basis, retail sales grew 2.9% in August compared with an upwardly revised 2.2% advance in August but short of consensus expectations for a 3% gain.