According to the Eurostat statistical office, sales of car fuel clearly decreased because people started working in large numbers from home and living much more at home. The sale of clothing and footwear also fell sharply due to mandatory shop closures.
Overall, retail sales in the euro area decreased by 6.1% that month compared to October, when sales increased by 1.4%. The sales of web stores did increase.
For the European Union as a whole, a 5 percent drop in retail sales was observed. Within the EU, there were the strongest declines in France (minus 18 percent), Belgium (minus 15.9 percent) and Austria (minus 9.9 percent).