The volume of retail sales in Romania (chart) rose by 8.1% y/y in July slightly slower compared to the 9.8% y/y advance in Q2, dragged down by sluggish sales of car fuels (0.6% y/y) but substantially driven by the sales of non-food goods (14.5% y/y) that reached a new record when expressed in seasonally adjusted terms. Private consumption in Romania remains robust, fueled by the significant advance in net wages (by 6.5-8.2% y/y over the past three quarters). The wage hikes in the public sector as of July and the higher pensions paid since September are expected to fuel retail sales and make pr…