Annual German Retail Sales Post Gain Despite Easing in June

German retail sales edged lower in June, but maintained healthy year-on-year growth, data released on Friday showed. 
Monthly retail sales in Europe's biggest economy slipped by 0.1 per cent in June from May when they rose 0.7 per cent, German News Agency (dpa) quoted the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) as saying. 
Analysts had expected a 0.1-per-cent gain in June. Year on year, retail sales climbed by 2.7 per cent in June, Destatis said. 
First-half sales for the year were also up, rising by 2.3 per cent when compared with the same period in 2015. 
The Destatis data showed another big jump in online sales, which gained by 8.3 per cent in June compared with the same month last year.