BERLIN—German retail sales fell by more than expected in April as consumers feel the pinch of higher prices, especially for food, and retailers face supply problems from the China lockdowns.
The Federal Statistics Office said on Wednesday that retail sales were down 5.4 percent on the month in real terms.
A Reuters forecast had predicted a decrease of 0.2 percent.
Grocery retailers saw a sales decrease of 7.7 percent in April, the biggest month-on-month drop since the time series began in 1994, said the office, pointing to significant rises in food prices.
Trade in textiles, clothing, shoes, and leather goods, as well as department stores and sales outlets, saw significant sales increases in April 2022 compared with the year before, which was marked by pandemic closures, but recorded significant drops from March 2022 of 4.3 percent and 7.0 percent, respectively….