06.07.201807:40:00UTC+00Italy Retail Sales Rise More Than Expected In May

Italy's retail sales increased at a faster-than-expected pace in May, after falling in the previous two months, preliminary data from the statistical office Istat showed Friday.

Retail sales value rose a seasonally adjusted 0.8 percent month-over-month in May, reversing a 0.6 percent drop in April.

Sales of food products grew 2.0 percent over the month, while non-food sales increased only marginally by 0.1 percent.

On a yearly basis, retail sales value rebounded 0.4 percent in May, following a 4.6 percent decline in April.

Data also showed that retail sales volume climbed 0.9 percent monthly in May, while it declined 0.2 percent from a year ago.