Retail sales in Sweden declined for the first time in seven months in April, data from Statistics Sweden showed Monday.
On a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis, sales volume fell 0.2 percent. This compares to a 0.1 percent increase in March and a 0.4 percent decline expected by economists.
On a working day adjusted basis, retail sales rose 0.8 percent year-on-year in April. The improvement was, however, weaker than March's 4.2 percent rise.
Retail sale for consumer goods remained unchanged on an annual basis while retail sales for durables increased 1.5 percent.
Commenting on the data, HUI Research said that the cold weather during spring has affected trade. Clothing and shoes both had a weak growth during April, and parts of the spring collections are probably still in the warehouse.
by RTT Staff Writer
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