German retail sales contracted sharply in March 2026, falling 2.0% year-over-year, according to data updated on 30 April 2026. The decline marks a clear reversal from February 2026, when retail turnover had still increased by 0.7% compared with the same month a year earlier.
The figures are calculated on a year-over-year basis, comparing March 2026 sales with those of March 2025. The previous reading compared February 2026 to February 2025, capturing an earlier phase of consumer activity. The shift from positive to negative territory suggests that German consumer demand weakened notably at the end of the first quarter, raising fresh concerns about the resilience of household spending in Europe’s largest economy.
