Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1390871
2 NEWS 8.7.2021 IN May 2021, the seasonally adjusted volume of retail trade rose by 4.6% in both the euro area and the EU, com- pared with April 2021, according to estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In April 2021, the retail trade volume decreased by 3.9% in the euro area and by 3.6% in the EU. In May 2021 compared with May 2020, the calendar adjusted volume of retail trade increased by 9.0% in the euro area and by 9.2% in the EU. Monthly comparison by retail sector and by Member State In the euro area in May 2021, com- pared with April 2021, the volume of retail trade increased by 8.8% for non- food products and by 8.1% for automo- tive fuels, while it decreased by 0.2% for food, drinks and tobacco. In the EU the volume of retail trade in- creased by 8.5% for non-food products and by 6.8% for automotive fuels, while it decreased by 0.3% for food, drinks and tobacco. Among Member States for which data are available, the highest monthly in- creases in total retail trade were regis- tered in France (+9.9%), the Netherlands (+9.3%) and Estonia (+8.1%). Decreases were observed in Latvia (-3.9%), Finland (-3.3%) and Luxembourg (-0.7%). Annual comparison by retail sector and by Member State In the euro area in May 2021, com- pared with May 2020, the volume of retail trade increased by 28.4% for au- tomotive fuels, by 14.8% for non-food products and by 0.1% for food, drinks and tobacco. In the EU, the volume of retail trade increased by 25.0% for automotive fu- els, by 15.0% for non-food products and by 0.3% for food, drinks and tobacco. Among Member States for which data are available, the highest annual increas- es in total retail trade were registered in Bulgaria (+23.9%), Ireland (+22.4%) and Malta (+22.0%). e only decrease was registered in Germany (-0.9%). Retail trade volume up by 4.6% in both the euro area and the EU 78/2021 - 6 July 2021 May 2021 compared with April 2021 Volume of retail trade up by 4.6% in both the euro area and the EU Up by 9.0% and 9.2% compared with May 2020 In May 2021, the seasonally adjusted volume of retail trade rose by 4.6% in both the euro area and the EU, compared with April 2021, according to estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In April 2021, the retail trade volume decreased by 3.9% in the euro area and by 3.6% in the EU. In May 2021 compared with May 2020, the calendar adjusted volume of retail trade increased by 9.0% in the euro area and by 9.2% in the EU. 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 100 102 104 106 108 110 112 114 116 118 01-2015 03-2015 05-2015 07-2015 09-2015 11-2015 01-2016 03-2016 05-2016 07-2016 09-2016 11-2016 01-2017 03-2017 05-2017 07-2017 09-2017 11-2017 01-2018 03-2018 05-2018 07-2018 09-2018 11-2018 01-2019 03-2019 05-2019 07-2019 09-2019 11-2019 01-2020 03-2020 05-2020 07-2020 09-2020 11-2020 01-2021 03-2021 05-2021 Euro area EU Retail trade volume 2015=100, seasonally adjusted series FOUNDED in 1840 and located in southwest London, Kew Gardens is a cultural icon, standing as a beloved ambassador for nature, education, and wellbeing. e gardens offer a space for leisure defined by greenery, air, colour, and joy. Mizzi Studio has been selected to design a new family kitchen for the gardens, sited directly beside their Children's Garden – a verdant, natural setting that allows children to explore and play surrounded by the presence of earth, air, sun, and water. e team re- ceived overwhelmingly positive scores and feedback following the tender pro- cess, which comprised entries from in- ternational architecture firms such as HOK. e tender panel was struck by Mizzi Studio's holistic, nature driven approach to the project brief. e design offers food in a theatrical, nature-led, technology-driven setting. Comprising food preparation stations, dining areas and retail, the kitchen mar- ries fantasy and nature with science, promoting education, wonder, organic dominance, food culture, and interac- tivity. Mizzi Studio has created a new space for families in London where nat- ural oasis meets children's laboratory. A zoning approach within the res- taurant follows the theme of the four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter, with applicable colour stories, material texture and visual cues per- meating into the different sections and seating throughout the kitchen. Colours draw from the natural hues and tones of each season, functioning as both implicit wayfinding and playful décor. Diversity in material is used to reinforce the concept of enjoying na- ture through the seasons, with surfaces ranging from warm timbers to smooth glass and resins. In keeping with Mizzi Studio's signa- ture style, biophilic and biomorphic design elements proliferate throughout the scheme. Specifically, the key seating arrangements are influenced by organ- ic elements living in the natural world, including vegetables, fungi, and vibrant plant life. e breadth of materials included within the scheme is wide and the im- pact of their tactile properties strong: from glass, to timber, to polished sur- faces, each material has been chosen in accordance with a specific sensorial impact in mind. With the capacity to host up to 150 diners, the Family Kitchen at Kew has been designed to support a variety in party size numbers, age, and physical ability. Founded in 2011 by Maltese-British architect and designer, Jonathan Miz- zi, Mizzi Studio is an award-winning architecture and design practice with studios in London and Malta. Working across a diverse range of disciplines, scales, and sectors, the studio seeks out projects that have a positive social and cultural impact. Maltese firm chosen to design new nature inspired, family restaurant within London's royal Kew Gardens