Eurozone retail sales edged down 0.1% month-on-month in January 2026, following an upwardly revised 0.2% increase in December 2025 and falling short of market expectations for a 0.3% rise. The decline was mainly driven by weaker fuel sales, which dropped 1.1% after a 0.6% gain in December, and a modest decrease in sales of other non-food products (-0.2% vs -0.4% previously). By contrast, sales of food, drinks, and tobacco rose 0.3%, slightly below the 0.4% increase recorded in December.
Among the bloc’s largest economies, retail trade contracted in Germany (-0.9%) but expanded in France (0.3%), Spain (0.2%), Italy (0.2%), and the Netherlands (0.4%). On a yearly basis, Eurozone retail sales growth accelerated to 2.0% in January from 1.8% in December, exceeding market expectations for a 1.7% increase.
