FX.co ★ Cyprus Retail Sales Growth at 5-Month High

Retail sales in Cyprus experienced a notable increase of 6.3% year-on-year in April 2025, rising from 5.6% in March. This represents the most robust retail growth since November 2024. The upsurge is largely driven by heightened sales in non-specialised stores, particularly in food, beverages, and tobacco, which saw an increase of 7.5% compared to 5.9% in March. Notable gains were also observed in pharmaceuticals, orthopedic goods, and cosmetics, which rose by 4.0% from a minimal 0.3% increase. Additionally, the sales of flowers, plants, watches, jewelry, optical goods, and second-hand items experienced a significant jump to 12.7%, up from 3.8% previously. Furthermore, a marked improvement was seen in the sales of food, beverages, and tobacco in specialised stores, which surged to 10.8% from a decline of 0.7%, and in automotive fuel, which climbed by 3.1% from a decrease of 1.3%. Conversely, sales declined in other household equipment, decreasing by 3.1% from a 7.7% increase, and in cultural and recreation goods, which fell by 0.5% from a 7.8% rise. The growth in sales of ICT equipment slowed to 7.9% from 9.5%, as did clothing and footwear, which saw a decrease in growth to 12.2% from 16.7%. Overall, retail sales have increased by 5.8% on a year-to-date basis.