According to preliminary data released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on Tuesday, retail sales in Germany rose in May 2026 compared to April 2026. The real value increased by 1.1%, while the nominal value grew by 1.0%.
Looking at the year-over-year figures, retail sales grew by 1.8% in real terms and 3.2% in nominal terms when compared to May 2025. Contextually, in April 2026, retail sales had experienced a decline compared to March, with the real value decreasing by 0.4% (a revision from the previous preliminary figure of -0.3%) and the nominal value declining by 0.2% (down from an initial figure of +0.3%).
In the sector of food retail, sales increased by 1.1% in real terms and 1.0% in nominal terms month-over-month in May 2026. Against the same period last year (May 2025), the food retail sector saw a real increase of 0.6% and a nominal increase of 1.5%.
For non-food retail, the month-over-month increase (calendar and seasonal adjusted) registered a real growth of 1.0% and a nominal growth of 1.2%. Compared to May 2025, real sales in non-food retail jumped by 2.7%, while nominal sales rose by 4.3%.
The online and mail-order sector showed strong growth in May 2026, with sales rising 3.4% in real terms and 3.6% in nominal terms compared to the previous month. Year-over-year, the internet and mail-order trade grew by 7.0% in real terms and 7.8% in nominal terms.
Gas station sales were particularly noteworthy in May 2026, driven by global events (the war in the Middle East) and domestic policy measures, including a fuel discount program running from May 1 to June 30, 2026. Month-over-month for May, sales increased by 3.5% in real terms but declined by 1.8% nominally. To provide historic context, in March, sales had shrunk in real terms (-2.7%) but risen nominally (+8.8%); in April, both real and nominal sales dropped (-5.2% and -2.7% respectively). Compared to May 2025, real sales declined by 6.2%, even as nominal sales increased by 7.4%. These figures include sales from the affiliated gas station shops.
