Retail sales in Norway fell by 2.1% month-over-month in May 2026, the sharpest drop since June 2024, following a downwardly revised 0.1% increase in April. The decline was broad-based, with sales falling across all main categories: non-specialized stores (-2.2% vs 1.3% in April), food, beverages and tobacco (-1.7% vs 0.5%), automotive fuel (-3.1% vs 0.3%), ICT equipment (-5.4% vs -4.6%), other household equipment (-1.6% vs 1.9%), cultural and recreational goods (-6.2% vs 2.1%), other goods (-2.9% vs -0.4%), and trade not in stores, stalls, etc. (-0.3% vs 0.3%).
On an annual basis, retail sales declined by 2.5%, the largest year-on-year fall in nearly two years, reversing a downwardly revised 0.7% increase recorded in April.
