According to preliminary figures released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), retail sales in Germany declined in June 2026 compared to May 2026. Seasonally and calendar-adjusted, real (price-adjusted) sales fell by 1.1 percent, while nominal (unadjusted) sales dipped by 1.2 percent. Year-over-year, sales remained relatively stable: in June 2026 compared to June 2025, real sales dropped by 0.2 percent, but nominal sales recorded a 1.2 percent increase. Looking back at May 2026, revised preliminary results showed an increase of 1.2 percent in real sales (up from 1.1 percent initially) and 1.0 percent in nominal sales. For the first half of 2026, retail sales generated 0.7 percent greater real turnover and 2.2 percent more nominal turnover than the corresponding period last year.
Notable fluctuations were observed in the petrol station industry in June 2026, influenced by the conflict in the Middle East and political countermeasures taken in Germany, such as the fueling subsidy running from June 1st to June 30th. Month-over-month, real turnover at these stations rose by 2.1 percent (seasonally and calendar-adjusted), but nominal sales fell by 1.5 percent. Compared to June 2025, real sales at petrol stations saw a 2.1 percent decrease, although nominal sales jumped by 7.2 percent. These figures include sales made in the accompanying station shops.
In the food retail segment, sales declined in June 2026 compared to the previous month. Seasonally and calendar-adjusted, real sales decreased by 1.4 percent, and nominal sales dropped by 1.7 percent. When comparing this to June 2025, the food retail sector registered a real decline of 0.6 percent and a nominal increase of 0.1 percent.
For non-food retail, the seasonally and calendar-adjusted turnover decreased by 1.0 percent both in real and nominal terms compared to May. However, year-over-year, this sector saw a real increase of 0.2 percent and a nominal increase of 1.7 percent compared to June 2025.
The internet and mail-order trade posted a modest increase in June 2026, achieving 0.4 percent in real sales and 0.7 percent in nominal sales compared to the prior month. In a stronger trend compared to a year ago, sales in the online and mail-order sector grew significantly, rising 4.9 percent in real terms and 6.3 percent in nominal terms, according to the statisticians.
