FX.co ★ Slovakia Retail Sales Fall for 2nd Month

In March 2025, Slovakia experienced a 2.5% decline in retail sales compared to the same month the previous year, building on a 2.6% decrease from February. This marks the second successive month of reduced retail activity, driven by marked sales drops in several areas: stalls and markets saw a significant decrease of 16.9% compared to a 2.6% dip in February; non-specialized stores experienced a 4.5% decline versus the previous 0.4% reduction; and non-store retailing fell by 3.2%, slightly worsening from a 3% fall. Additionally, sales of cultural and recreational goods declined by 18.6% following a 20.7% drop, while food, beverages, and tobacco saw a 9.8% decrease, improving from an 11.6% decline. Conversely, there was a noteworthy recovery in sales of ICT equipment, which surged by 16.7% after a 2.2% fall, and automotive fuel sales rebounded with a 3.2% increase from a prior 9.8% decrease. On a month-to-month basis, retail sales fell by 1% in March, representing a continuation of the previous month's 0.8% decline.