FEP - Eurozone Retail Sales Struggle Despite Purchasing Power Boost
2025-05-07 07:05:00 ET
Summary
- Retail sales have been roughly stable in the first quarter in the eurozone.
- March saw a small tick down by -0.1% compared to February.
- Despite real wage gains, uncertainty seems to be holding consumers back from spending.
By Bert Colijn
Uncertainty continues to cause consumers to shy away from spending on goods, as retail sales in the eurozone have been roughly flat since September 2024. In the year before, a gentle recovery of retail spending had occurred, but consumer confidence has been falling since November last year - coinciding with the US elections. The most recent moves don’t bode well; eurozone consumer confidence fell sharply in response to the trade war escalating in April....
Eurozone Retail Sales Struggle Despite Purchasing Power Boost