Volume change in retail trade in the Member States of the European Union, September 2025

Released: 11 November 2025

In September 2025, the volume of retail trade in the European Union was 1.3% higher, on a calendar-adjusted basis, than in the same month of the previous year. According to the available data, the volume of retail trade turnover increased in the majority of Member States, with the largest increase in Cyprus (8.5%). While a decrease (0.1–2.3%) was registered in four Member States, with the most significant decrease in Italy. Seasonally and calendar adjusted retail trade volumes remained unchanged in the EU compared with the previous month.

In September 2025, the volume of retail trade in Hungary was 3.0% higher than a year earlier1, while seasonally and calendar-adjusted data show unchanged volume compared to the previous month. Among the V4 countries, retail sales volumes increased by 4.0% in Poland and by 1.3% in Slovakia compared with September 2024 (data for Czechia not available).

In Hungary, the volume of retail trade in specialized and non-specialized food shops increased by 3.1% compared to the same month of the previous year. Sales volumes in non-specialized food and beverages shops, which account for 76% of food retail trade, rose by 4.3%, and in specialized food, beverage and tobacco stores they remained unchanged. Non-food retail trade sales volumes increased by 3.5% overall. Compared to September 2024, sales volume increased by 5.8% in pharmaceutical, medical goods and cosmetics shops and by 3.3% in non-specialized shops dealing in manufactured goods, and by 1.5% in furniture and electrical goods stores. A decrease was registered in books, computer equipment and other specialized stores (1.1%), second-hand goods shops (1.5%), and textiles, clothing and footwear shops (4.4%). Mail order and internet retailing, which covers a wide range of goods and accounted for 9.0% of retail sales in September 2025, rose by 9.5%. The volume of sales at automotive fuel stations increased by 0.6% compared with a year earlier. Sales volumes of motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts and accessories stores, not included in retail trade data, increased by 11%.

In September 2025, national retail trade turnover at current prices was HUF 1,661 billion. 49% of national retail sales were realized in specialized and non-specialized food shops, 36% in non-food retail trade and 15% in the fuel sales of automotive fuel stations.

Trading Economics2 macro-models suggest that retail sales in the European Union could grow by around 0.8% year-on-year at the end of Q4 2025. In Hungary, growth of 3.3% is expected for the fourth quarter of 2025, followed by further growth (2.0–2.7%) in 2026.

Table 1

Volume of retail trade in the member states of the European Union, September 2025

Territorial units Indicesa) (base year 2021) % change compared with
the previous montha) the same month of the previous yearb)
European Union average 103.3 0.0 1.3
Euro area 102.7 –0.1 1.0
Belgium 94.4 0.3 –0.8
Bulgaria 120.1 0.8 5.7
Czechia .. .. ..
Denmark 97.2 0.2 2.7
Germany 99.7 0.2 0.2
Estonia 92.5 1.5 3.2
Ireland 111.2 0.5 1.7
Greece .. .. ..
Spain 112.5 0.4 4.3
France 106.4 –0.1 2.7
Croatia 117.3 1.3 3.1
Italy 96.7 –0.6 –2.3
Cyprus 126.5 0.1 8.5
Latvia 104.4 –0.7 2.7
Lithuania 108.9 –1.1 4.1
Luxembourg 126.6 1.7 2.5
Hungary 102.4 0.0 3.0
Malta 123.7 1.7 6.6
Netherlands 101.4 –0.4 0.9
Austria 97.1 0.5 –0.1
Poland 110.5 0.2 4.0
Portugal 116.1 0.3 4.8
Romania 115.1 1.3 –2.1
Slovenia 98.7 –0.7 0.4
Slovakia 103.7 1.4 1.3
Finland 91.4 –0.2 0.2
Sweden 97.2 0.0 4.0
a) Calendar and seasonally adjusted
b) Calendar adjusted
Source: Euro indicators – Retail trade, September 2025. Download date: 6 November 2025
Figure 1
Figure 2

Archive

Footnotes

  1. Due to a methodological difference, the data on the volume change of retail trade in the HCSO "Retail Trade" first release may differ from those published by Eurostat. In Hungary, according to the Hungarian methodology, the calendar-adjusted volume of the September retail trade increased by 3.0% compared to the same month of the previous year, in line with Eurostat figures.

  2. Trading Economics data is available after registration.