Italy Retail Sales Rebound 0.6% In January

(RTTNews) - Italy's retail sales increased more-than-expected in January after falling in the previous month, the statistical office ISTAT reported Thursday.

The sales value rose 0.6 percent on a monthly basis in January, reversing a 0.7 percent fall in December. Economists had expected a rebound of 0.2 percent. Moreover, this was the fastest growth in nine months.

The retail sale value of food products and non-food items climbed by 1.1 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively, compared to last month. Regarding non-food items, the most significant increases were observed in IT, telecommunications, and telephone equipment.

On an annual basis, retail sales growth accelerated to a 9-month high of 2.3 percent from 1.1 percent in December.