Italian retail sales fall sequentially in May

Italian retail sales dropped in May in terms of value and quantity sold. On a sequential basis, retail trade dropped 0.7 percent in terms of value and 0.8 percent in terms of quantity sold. This is the fourth straight month of no positive growth. In three months to May, both value and volume of retail sales dropped 0.4 percent and 0.5 percent, respectively, when compared to the previous three months.

On a year-on-year basis, values of sales shrank 1.8 percent, whereas volume of sales dropped 1.5 percent. After solid sales recorded in April 2019, large scale distribution dropped 0.4 percent year-on-year. Small scale distribution also recorded a contraction, falling 3.6 percent.

Year-on-year online sales continued to expand, but value of internet sales dropped a bit to 10.6 percent in May 2019 from April’s 17.1 percent.

Looking at the value of sales for non-food products, all sectors recorded a contraction except computers and telecommunications equipment, electric household appliances, audio-video equipment and furniture and textile items and household furnishings, while the largest falls concerned clothing and shoes, leather goods and travel items.

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