EU RETAIL SALES VOLUME UP 2.1% IN MARCH.

The volume of retail trade grew by 2.1% in the EU in March 2005, compared with March 2004, according to first estimates released on May 4 by Eurostat, the EU's Statistical Office. The retail sales index was up 0.3% on February.

Between March 2004 and March this year, total retail trade rose in Denmark (+8.2%), Slovakia (+8.1%), Sweden (+8.0%), Portugal (+4.3%), the United Kingdom (+3.8%), Lithuania (+3.5%), Belgium (+2.7%), Luxembourg (+2.6%), Spain (+1.8%), France (+1.5%) and Germany (+0.6%), while the only fall was recorded in Poland (-5.7%).

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