Greek retail sales slip 0.1 pct in January, led by foods, tobacco, furniture
ATHENS, March 31 Greek retail sales by volume fell 0.1 percent in January compared to the same month a year ago after a 1.0 percent decrease in December, statistics service ELSTAT said on Friday. Retail sales were led lower by tobacco, foods, department stores, furniture and household appliances, fuels, lubricants, drugs and cosmetics, the data showed. Tax rates rose on tobacco, certain beverages and tobacco in January. Data on gross domestic product showed Greece's economy contracted from October to December after two straight quarters of growth, with its performance in the last quarter of 2016 turning out worse than expected. The seasonally adjusted data showed a 1.2 percent decline in economic output in the fourth quarter. The long delay in concluding a bailout review has sparked uncertainty, weighing on economic activity in the first quarter. ********************************************************** KEY FIGURES JAN DEC NOV OCT SEPT AUG JULY Retail Sales by -0.1 -1.0 +4.0 +2.6 +2.4 -2.1 +9.5 volume y/y Retail Sales by +1.4 -1.3 +2.2 +1.4 +1.7 -2.5 +7.1 revenue y/y ---------------------------------------------------------------- * revised source: ELSTAT (Reporting by George Georgiopoulos)