Preliminary data from the Federal Statistical Office, released on Thursday, shows that Germany’s retail sector saw a decline in sales in March. Compared to February, turnover actually fell by 2.0 percent and nominally by 1.5 percent. When comparing the figures to March of the previous year (2025), the retail industry recorded an actual decline of 2.0 percent and a nominal decline of 0.5 percent.
Specific sectors showed varied performance. A notable development was observed in gas station sales, which saw a real decrease of 5.6 percent due to the Middle East conflict, even though those sales nominally increased by 5.5 percent.
The grocery retail sector also experienced a downturn in March 2026. Comparing this month to the preceding month, sales dropped by 2.7 percent in real terms and 2.5 percent nominally. Year-over-year, the decline was recorded at 3.3 percent in real terms and 1.9 percent nominally.
By contrast, the online and mail-order retail sector showed a significant surge, posting a turnover increase of 3.0 percent in real terms and 3.0 percent nominally compared to February. Furthermore, compared to the previous year, sales in this area rose substantially by 5.9 percent in real terms and 6.1 percent nominally.
