The sharpest fall in retail sales in the EU in July was recorded in Romania

The retail sales increased in the euro zone and the European Union in July 2026 as compared to July 2025, but Romania had the sharpest fall in retail sales in the community block, in an annual rhythm, show the data published on Friday by Eurostat.According to the European office, retail sales rose by 0.6 per cent in the eurozone and by 1 per cent in the European Union. However, year-on-year falls in retail sales were recorded in: Romania (down 5.7 per cent), Germany (down 2.5 per cent), Italy (down 1 per cent) and Spain (down 0.7 per cent).   Month-on-month, retail sales fell by 0.6% in the euro area and by 0.4% in the European Union in July 2026 compared with June 2026. However, the Member States with the largest increases in retail sales were: Latvia (2.5 per cent), Cyprus (2 per cent), Luxembourg (1.8%), Slovenia (1.7%), Croatia (1.4%), Hungary (1%), Malta and Belgium (both 0.9%) and Romania (0.8%).   According to data previously published by the National Institute of Statistics (INS), the volume of retail turnover (excluding trade in motor vehicles and motorcycles), on a gross basis, in July 2026, compared with July 2025, fell by 6.2 per cent overall, as a result of declines in the retail sale of motor vehicle fuels in specialised shops (-7.0 per cent), sales of non-food products (-6.4 per cent) and sales of food, beverages and tobacco (-5.4 per cent).   The volume of retail turnover (excluding trade in motor vehicles and motocycles), a series adjusted for the number of working days and seasonality, in July 2026 as compared to July 2025 recorded a drop, wholly, with 6.1% as a result of the drop recorded in sales of non-food products (-6.7%), food product sales, beverages and tobacco (-5.8%) and retail of fuels for vehicles in specialized shops (-4.4%).Furthermore, the volume of retail trade turnover (excluding trade in motor vehicles and motorcycles), gross series, in July 2026, compared with the previous month, increased overall by 7.0 per cent, due to increases in the retail sale of motor vehicle fuels in specialised shops (+12.7 per cent), sales of food, beverages and tobacco (+7.6 per cent) and sales of non-food products (+4.1 per cent).   The volume of retail turnover (excluding trade in motor vehicles and motorcycles), a series adjusted for the number of working days and seasonality, increased overall in July 2026, compared with the previous month, by 0.8%, due to increases in the retail sale of motor vehicle fuels in specialised shops (+2.2%) and in sales of food, beverages and tobacco (+0.9%). Sales of non-food products fell by 0.1%.