Eurozone Retail Sales Miss Forecasts With 0.1% Monthly Rise in August

Eurozone retail sales rose 0.1% month-over-month in August, missing consensus expectations of a 0.2% increase and highlighting fragile consumer demand. Year-over-year sales grew 0.8%, falling short of forecasts projecting a 1.0% expansion, though improving from an upwardly revised 0.4% in July. The monthly rebound followed a revised 0.6% contraction in July. Gains were supported by a 0.5% advance in non-food sales excluding automotive fuel, whereas automotive fuel volumes fell 1.9%. Performance across member states diverged, with German retail sales gaining 1.3% while French sales declined 1.1%.