Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office, reported a contraction in retail sales across the Eurozone and the wider European Union in May 2025. Initial estimates indicate a seasonally adjusted decline of 0.7% in retail sales volume for the Eurozone and 0.8% for the EU compared to April 2025.
This downturn follows an increase in retail sales observed in April, when the Eurozone saw a rise of 0.3% and the EU a gain of 0.8%. However, when factoring in calendar variations, the retail sales index registered an increase of 1.8% in the Eurozone and 1.9% in the EU when compared to May 2024.
The decline in May was broad-based, affecting several retail sectors. Within the Eurozone, sales of food, beverages and tobacco products decreased by 0.7%, while non-food retail (excluding motor fuels) fell by 0.6%. Motor fuel sales at service stations saw a more substantial decrease of 1.3%. Similar declines were observed across the EU, with respective drops of 0.8%, 0.7% and 1.2% in each category.
Significant variation in monthly performance was noted among EU member states reporting data. Sweden experienced the most substantial drop in retail sales volume, down 4.6%, followed by Belgium (-2.5%) and Estonia (-2.2%). Conversely, Portugal (+2.1%), Bulgaria (+2.0%) and Cyprus (+1.0%) registered the largest increases in retail sales volume during the period.
