South Africa Retail Sales Growth Eases In May

(RTTNews) - South Africa's retail sales growth moderated in May after accelerating in the previous month, data from Statistics South Africa showed on Wednesday.

On an unadjusted basis, retail sales rose 4.2 percent year-on-year in May, slower than the 5.2 percent increase in the prior month.

Sales of textiles, clothing, footwear, and leather goods grew the most, by 12.5 percent annually in May, followed by household furniture, appliances, and equipment, with a 4.4 percent rise. Meanwhile, sales of food, beverages, and tobacco in specialized stores dropped by 1.9 percent.

On a monthly basis, retail sales edged up 0.1 percent versus a 1.1 percent gain in April.