Retail sales, excluding VAT, rose a calendar-adjusted 2.7% year-over-year in April, much slower than March's 8% increase.
Retail sale of automotive fuel alone registered a double-digit growth of 10.7% in April compared to last year and those of non-food products gained 3.2%.
Meanwhile, sale of food, alcoholic beverages and tobacco decreased 2.3% and retail sale via mail order houses or via internet showed a sharp fall of 12.3%.
On a monthly basis, retail sales dropped a seasonally and calendar-adjusted 1.7% in April.