ROME, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Retail sales in Italy climbed higher in July, though increases in value continued to grow faster than volume amid rising prices, the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) reported Wednesday.
Compared to June, overall retail sales grew by 1.3 percent in value, while sales measured by volume showed a more modest 1-percent expansion, said ISTAT.
On a yearly basis, retail sales in value grew by 4.2 percent in July from a year earlier, a sharp contrast to a 0.9-percent decrease when measured by volume.
"The divergence between the positive trend in sales measured by value and the negative trend in volumes continues," ISTAT said in a statement, noting it was the second consecutive month such a trend emerged.
Sales figures for food products showed the most marked differences: a 6.1 percent growth in value year-on-year and a 3.6-percent decrease by volume. Compared to the previous month, food sales grew 1.2 percent in value terms compared to a 0.5-percent increase in volumes.
Among specific sectors, technological products such as computers and telecommunications equipment showed the greatest year-on-year growth, increasing by 8.2 percent, while sales of household appliances increased by 6.9 percent.
ISTAT reported earlier that overall prices in July were 7.9 percent higher than in the same month in 2021, showing that despite the broad value-related increases, retail sales failed to keep pace with the inflation rate. ■