Retail sales in Bulgaria increased by 5.6% year-on-year in July 2026, slowing from a 7.1% rise in June and marking the weakest growth since January 2026. The deceleration was driven mainly by non-food products excluding fuel, where growth eased to 4.1% from 9.9%. Within this category, sales growth slowed for textiles, clothing, and footwear (14.7% vs 22.5%), mail-order and internet retail (22.5% vs 26.4%), and computers and communication equipment (1.9% vs 8.0%).
By contrast, activity strengthened in several segments. Sales of food, beverages, and tobacco rose 7.5% (up from 4.1%), while sales of automotive fuel in specialized stores grew 6.6% (vs 3.1% previously). Growth in pharmaceutical and medical goods, cosmetics, and toiletries edged up to 1.5% from 1.0%. Sales of food, beverages, and tobacco in specialized stores also improved, contracting by just 0.2% compared with a 1.0% decline in June.
On a monthly basis, retail sales slipped 0.2% in July, reversing a 0.5% increase recorded in June.
