2017.03.2804:02:00UTC+00Sweden Retail Sales Growth Eases In February

Sweden's retail sales growth eased notably in February, data from Statistics Sweden showed Tuesday.

Retail sales grew by seasonally adjusted 0.2 percent month-on-month, following January's revised 1.7 percent increase. The growth was also weaker than the expected 0.3 percent.

On a yearly basis, retail sales climbed by working-day adjusted 2.7 percent in February, slightly slower than the 2.8 percent growth logged in January. The annual growth figure came in line with expectations.

Retail sales in consumables gained 0.3 percent and that in durables advanced 4.8 percent.

The first months must be interpreted with caution - January and February are the weakest months of the year in terms of sales, but the result follows the 2017 HUI forecast of 3 percent, HUI Research analyst Andreas Svensson, said.