Italian Retail Sales See a Slight Dip in January

According to the latest report released by Istat on Wednesday, Italy's retail sales experienced a 0.4% decrease in January compared to December. This downturn was somewhat unexpected, as it fell short of analysts' predictions. Specifically, sales of food products saw a 0.3% decline, while non-food products experienced a slightly larger drop of 0.5%.

Yearly Comparison Shows Mixed Results

When looking at the yearly comparison, the retail trade sector showed a 0.9% increase from January 2024. Food sales were a bright spot, with a 2.1% increase compared to the same month last year. However, non-food sales remained stagnant, showing no growth over the past year.