Bulgaria's retail sales slid 5.8 per cent in annual terms in April 2011, as households spent less, hampering economic recovery, National Statistics Institute (NSI) data showed on June 7 2011.

On a monthly basis, retail sales in Bulgaria dropped 0.2 per cent in April.

Sales of household appliances, furniture and other household goods declined five per cent on an annual basis. The report also showed a 2.2 per cent drop in retail sales of textile, clothing, footwear and leather products, as well as a 0.9 per cent decrease in sales of tobacco products.

The steepest monthly decline was in sales of textile, clothing, footwear and leather products, of 1.9 per cent, while the smallest decrease, of 0.1 per cent, was in household appliances, furniture and other household goods.

Retail trade of computer and communication equipment recorded a slight increase of 0.3 per cent in April, while sales of pharmaceutical and medical products, cosmetics and toiletries inched up 0.2 per cent