BERLIN, April 1 (Reuters) - German retail sales unexpectedly fell by 0.2 percent in February in seasonally adjusted terms, preliminary Federal Statistics Office data showed on Wednesday.
The monthly fall in real terms compared with the Reuters
consensus forecast for an increase of 0.2 percent
month-on-month and a 1.4-percent drop on the year
January's reading was revised down to show a monthly fall of 0.9 percent, compared to the 0.6-percent drop first reported.
Year-on-year, sales fell by 5.3 percent in real terms in February. In nominal terms, sales rose 0.2 percent from the previous month but fell 5.3 percent on the year.
The figures were based on retail data from seven states accounting for around 76 percent of total turnover. February 2009 had one less shopping day than February 2008, the Office said. (Writing by Brian Rohan)