Brussels: After three consecutive months of growth, Eurozone retail sales posted a decline in October, according to data released on Thursday. The volume of retail trade in the euro area fell by 0.5% compared to September, reversing the previous month's 0.5% gain, Eurostat figures showed. According to Anadolu Agency, sales volumes rose modestly by 0.1% for food, drinks and tobacco, while there was a decrease of 0.3% for automotive fuel. On a yearly basis, retail sales in the euro area grew by 0.5% in October, reflecting a marginal improvement despite the monthly decline. The eurozone, also known as the euro area or EA19, includes member states that use the bloc's single currency, the euro. In contrast, the EU27 encompasses all of its member countries. For the EU as a whole, retail sales declined 0.3% month-on-month but recorded a 0.4% year-on-year increase, indicating a mixed performance across the region. The largest monthly increases in total retail trade volume were observed in Luxembourg (2.4%), Poland (2.2%), and Lithuania (1.5%). Conversely, the steepest monthly declines were reported in Belgium (1.7%), Germany (1.4%), and both Denmark and the Greek Cypriot administration, which saw declines of 1.1%.