A surge in energy prices since the start of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran piles further pressure on the retail sector in Europe, already struggling with weak consumer demand and diminished spending power. Shares in retailers, from Zara-owner Inditex to Britain's Marks & Spencer, fell on Monday as investors and analysts expected a knock-on impact from higher petrol and gas prices, even as the sector has barely recovered from the inflation cycle triggered by spiking gas prices after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.