This marked the seventh consecutive month of falling in retail activity but it was the smallest drop since February. Trade decreased in non-specialized stores (-3% vs -4.3% in July), household equipment in specialized stores (-9.1% vs -12.8%), food, beverages & tobacco (-6.8% vs -10.9%) and specialized stores (-5% vs -6.9%).

Sales rebounded for not in stores, stalls or markets (2.8% vs -2%) while rose softer for automotive fuel (25% vs 33.1%) and cultural & recreation goods (2.6% vs 4%).

On the other hand, there were sharper declines in sales for ICT in specialized stores (-10.5% vs 15.6%) and via stalls & markets (-9.9% vs -5%). On a monthly basis, retail trade increased by 1.7%, following a 0.9% gain in July.