Euro zone retail sales posted a modest acceleration at the start of 2026, with year-over-year growth rising to 2.0% in January, up from 1.8% in December 2025. The latest figures, updated on 5 March 2026, suggest a slight strengthening in consumer spending momentum across the currency bloc.
Both the current and previous readings are measured on a year-over-year basis, comparing each month’s performance to the same month a year earlier. The January 2026 uptick indicates that retail activity in the euro area continued to expand, building on December’s gains and hinting at a cautiously improving backdrop for consumer-driven sectors.
