While most of Europe saw retail sales decrease in June, Malta bucked the trend, registering the highest increase among EU nations, Eurostat said.

In June 2013 compared with May 2013, the volume of retail trade1 fell by 0.5% in the euro area (EA17) and by 0.3% in the EU27, according to estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In May retail trade increased by 1.1% and 1.3% respectively.

Among the member states for which data are available, total retail trade fell in 11, remained stable in Bulgaria and rose in 10. The largest decreases were registered in Estonia (-3.3%), Hungary (-1.9%), Austria (-1.7%) and Germany (-1.5%), and the highest increases in Malta (+1.8%), Luxembourg (+1.3%) and Denmark (+1.2%).