Romania 1Q Adjusted Retail Sales -5.6% On Year

Food sales fell 10.2% on the year in the first quarter, while fuel and non-food sales were down 6% and 2.4% on the year, respectively.

In March alone, adjusted retail sales inched up 0.8% from a month earlier, boosted by higher consumption in the fuels and non-food sectors.

Fuel sales rose 3.3% on the month in March, while non-food sales were up 1.8%. Sales of food, drinks and tobacco nudged down 0.1% on the month.

Compared with March 2010, Romanian adjusted retail sales decreased by 5.8%, again due to fewer sales in all sectors.

The data are adjusted for the number of working days and seasonal factors.