April 30 (Reuters) - German retail sales rose more than expected in March, pointing a recovery in consumption at the end of the month.
Retail sales increased by 1.8% compared with the previous month, data from the German statistics office showed on Tuesday.
Analysts polled by Reuters had predicted a 1.1% increase.
Higher prices took their toll in consumption last year, but private consumption is expected to contribute significant growth momentum this year as real wages are seen rising in a resilient labour market.
German consumer sentiment is set to rise in May on the back of households' brighter income expectations, continuing a path of recovery that has been slow-going due to uncertainty about the country's economic development, the GfK survey showed last week.
Reporting by Ozan Ergenay and Maria Martinez, editing by Andrey Sychev
Source: Reuters