Retail sales decreased less for solid, liquid & gaseous fuels (-3.5% vs -5.5%) food, beverages & tobacco products (-2.1% vs -4.2%) and furniture (-10.6% vs -11.6% in July).

Also, retail sales slowed down for motor vehicles, motorcycles & parts (3.4% vs 3.8% in July) and declined faster for pharmaceuticals, cosmetics & orthopedic equipment (-2.9% vs -1.5%), textiles, clothing & footwear (-4.9% vs -4.8%) and newspapers (-14.3% vs -13.6%).

On a monthly basis, retail sales rose by 2.8% in August, following a 1.9% rise in the previous month.