Retail sales in Switzerland rose 1.6% year-on-year in April 2026, sharply beating market expectations for a 0.2% increase and accelerating from an upwardly revised 1% gain in March.
The upturn was led by the non-food sector excluding service stations, where sales increased 2.5%, up from 2.2% in the previous month. This improvement was driven mainly by stronger revenues for other household equipment, textiles, DIY products, and furniture, which rebounded 3.2% after a 3.1% decline in March, as well as for cultural and recreational goods, which rose 1.1% following a 2.9% increase previously. These gains partly offset weaker sales of information and communication equipment, which fell 1.7% after a 2.9% rise in March.
Food, beverages, and tobacco sales also recovered, edging up 0.3% after a 0.8% decline in the prior month. As a result, overall retail trade excluding service stations grew at a faster pace, up 1.4% year-on-year compared with 1% in March.
In contrast, sales at service stations fell 0.5%, reversing a 3.3% increase in the previous month. On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, total retail sales inched up 0.1% in April, slowing from a 0.3% rise in March.
