According to the latest Eurozone Retail PMI , sales across the euro area were little-changed in January following a fractional upturn in the previous month. The non-movement in sales volumes was indicative of increases in France and Germany being counterbalanced by a further fall in Italy.

The headline Markit Eurozone Retail PMI - which tracks the month-on-month changes in like-for-like retail sales in the bloc's biggest three economies combined - dipped to 50.1 in January, from 50.4 in December, and signalled a broad stagnation of sales.