Retail sales in Cyprus rose by 8.3% year-on-year in January 2026, easing from an 8.9% increase in December. The moderation in growth was driven mainly by weaker sales of food, beverages and tobacco in specialized stores (3.4% vs 18.5% in December), particularly in supermarkets (8.6% vs 8.9%), as well as slower growth in automotive fuel sales (2.3% vs 3.1%).
In addition, non-store retail sales fell sharply (-11.7% vs -4.3%), while sales of flowers, plants, watches, jewellery, optical goods and second-hand items were unchanged, remaining at a decline of 2.6%.
By contrast, turnover accelerated in several categories: information and communication equipment (21.3% vs 11.7%), other household equipment—including construction materials, carpets, furniture, electrical appliances and lighting—(11.5% vs 7%), and clothing and footwear (19.1% vs 14.5%).
For the whole of 2025, retail activity was 7.9% higher compared with the previous year.
