FX.co ★ Cypruys Retail Sales Growth at 4-Month High

Retail sales in Cyprus experienced a notable increase, advancing by 5.6% year-on-year in March 2025, up from 4.7% the previous month. This represents the most substantial growth in retail activity since November 2024. The surge was mainly driven by heightened sales in food, beverages, and tobacco within non-specialised stores, which rose by 7.1% compared to a 5.1% increase in February. Additionally, sales of other household equipment soared to 7.1% from 3%, while pharmaceuticals, orthopedic goods, and cosmetics saw a modest rise to 2.8% from 0.1%. Similarly, the sale of food, beverages, and tobacco in specialised stores improved to 3.7% from 1.8%. Conversely, the automotive fuel sector saw a reduction, declining by 1.3% after a slight increase of 0.3%. Sales in ICT equipment decelerated significantly to 2.1% from 11.7%, while cultural and recreation goods, as well as clothing and footwear, also experienced a slowdown, with their growth rates dropping to 7.8% from 17.8% and to 7.4% from 9.6%, respectively. Furthermore, trade outside of store environments continued its downward trend, decreasing by 4.3% compared to a 1.3% decline earlier. Overall, on a year-to-date comparison, retail sales have increased by 5.3%.