The value of retail sales in Italy increased by 0.3% month-on-month in August 2026, following a 0.4% drop in July and defying market expectations of a 0.1% decline. Food sales rebounded by 0.8%, after falling 0.4% in the previous month, while non-food sales were flat, having decreased 0.4% in July.
On a yearly basis, retail sales rose 0.5%, marking the weakest performance since the contraction recorded in March 2025 and slowing from an upwardly revised 1% gain in July. The deceleration was driven by softer non-food sales, which grew 0.2% compared with 1.2% in the prior month, offsetting a stronger increase in food sales, up 0.9% after a 0.4% rise in July.
Within the non-food segment, the sharpest growth was registered in IT, telecommunications, and telephone equipment (6.7%), while sales of footwear, leather goods, and travel items declined by 4.1%. By distribution channel, retail sales rose at large retail outlets (1.1%) and in online commerce (5.4%).
