Portugal led sales increase in January

The retail trade sector, recorded in Portugal in January, the third biggest increase in sales among EU markets, the Eurostat data show this Wednesday.

Against December, the sector grew 4.1% in Portugal, behind Belgium (9.5%) and Lithuania (7.4%), while the rise in the euro zone reached 0.4% (0.06 % in the EU-27). The increase observed in the first month of 2008 compared with a fall of 1.3% in the previous month, in Portugal, having fallen 0.1% in the euro area (-0.2% in the EU-27).

Against January 2007, sales in the euro zone fell 0.1%, having risen 1.8% in the European Union and 2.2% in Portugal, after breaking counterpart situated in 1.2% in December.

As for Spain, the variation monthly records a drop of 1.1%, while the fall counterpart stressed face up to December, to 2.4%.

By sectors, according to Eurostat, the monthly variation registered in the euro area was driven by sales of food, beverages and tobacco (+0.6%), while the non-food invoicing of goods grew 0.4% in the economy of the single currency.