2018.09.2808:00:00UTC+00Sweden Retail Sales Rise In August

Sweden's retail sale rose in August, albeit at a slower-than-expected pace, for the first time in four months, preliminary data from Statistics Sweden showed Friday.

Retail sales rose a seasonally adjusted 0.8 percent from July, when they were unchanged. Economists had forecast 1 percent increase.

The latest gain was the first since April.

On a year-on-year basis, retail trade sales increased a working-day adjusted 2 percent in August after a 0.1 percent fall in July. Economists had expected a 0.6 percent rise.

Consumer goods sales excluding liquor sales decreased 0.2 percent, while sales in durables grew 3.3 percent.

On an unadjusted basis, sales increased 2.9 percent year-on-year.