Italian retail sales fall sequentially in August

Italian retail sales dropped in August. On a sequential basis, the rate of sales dropped 0.6 percent in terms of value and volume. In the three months to August 2019, the value of retail trade rose 0.9 percent, while the quantity solid rose 0.8 percent when compared to the prior three months.

On a year-on-year basis, both value and volume of retail trade rose for the third straight month in August, rising 0.7 percent and 0.5 percent, respectively.

Large scale distribution rose 1.2 percent year-on-year in August, while small scale distribution dropped 0.5 percent year-on-year. On a year-on-year basis, online sales dropped 19.4 percent in August, after falling 23.4 percent seen in the prior month.

The largest growths were seen in furniture and textile items and household furnishings and cosmetic and toilet articles. Meanwhile, the largest falls were seen in electric household appliances, audio-video equipment and Stationery, books, newspapers and magazines.