Retail sales Actual (Apr): -4.5 % Consensus: -1.8 % Previous (Mar): 3.8 % After the promising March data, retail sales showed in April that recovery in consumer demand is not very strong. The fall in sales was deeper due to base effect or relatively good figures in April 2009. This was important in most of the sectors. The headline figure was pushed down especially by food and car sales that have higher weight in the index. The consumer demand remains a drag of the economic recovery, while exports grow on improving foreign demand. We expect the retail sales to show a 1-1.5 pct contraction in 2010.