London, United Kingdom (AHN) – Retail sales rose by 0.9 percent in April compared to March in the 17 nations that use the euro, according to statistics office Eurostat.

That increase was more than analysts expected, particularly with the ongoing debt crisis in many nations as well as increases in interest rates.

In March, sales had dropped by 0.9 percent from February.

Even one country that received bail-out funds saw increases in retail sales with Portugal reporting a 2.9 percent growth in sales, although that was below the 4 percent increase it registered for the same month in 2010. However, the bailed out nation of Ireland saw a drop of 0.5 percent in its retail sales figures while Greece has not yet reported its figures.

Among the largest economies in the eurozone, France reported a hefty 1.4 percent rise in sales while Germany reported a less robust 0.6 percent rise in retail sales.

In the meantime, Great Britain, which does not use the euro, saw mixed retail sales reports.

While the nation as a whole has flat growth and expects to continue that way for the next year, retail sales in London are expected to show 1.5 percent growth for the coming year.

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