Greek May retail sales rise 4.6 pct y/y, led by department stores

Greek retail sales by volume rose 4.6 percent in May compared to the same month last year after an upwardly revised 1.5 percent increase in April, statistics service ELSTAT said on Tuesday.

Retail sales were led higher by department stores and furniture and house apparel, the data showed.

Greece's economy grew for a fifth straight quarter in January-to-April, helped by stronger exports.

Gross domestic product expanded 0.8 percent in the first quarter, accelerating from an upwardly revised 0.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2017.

The EU Commission sees the economy growing by 1.9 percent this year, while the International Monetary Fund projects growth of 2.0 percent. [Reuters]