Correction (7 November 2026): an earlier version of this article reported eurozone retail sales as unchanged in October. Eurostat’s release of 6 November 2026 covered September 2026, when euro-area retail trade fell 0.7% on the month. The article has been corrected; the October figures originally published do not match any Eurostat release.

Retail sales across the eurozone fell 0.7% in September compared with August, according to first estimates from Eurostat, the European Union’s statistics office, reversing a revised 0.4% rise in August and missing market expectations of a 0.1% decline. Across the wider European Union, retail trade fell 0.6% on the month.

Non-food sales led the fall

Sales of non-food products excluding automotive fuel fell 1.2% in September, after rising 0.6% in August. Food, drinks and tobacco sales fell 0.3%, while automotive fuel sales rose 1.0%, partly offsetting the weakness elsewhere.

Germany recorded the sharpest fall

Germany recorded the largest monthly decline among reporting member states, with retail sales down 2.0% after a revised 1.2% increase in August, and 2.4% lower than a year earlier. Romania fell 1.3%. Among the other large eurozone economies, France declined 0.6% and Spain fell 0.4%, while Italy edged up 0.1% and the Netherlands fell 0.7%. The largest monthly rises were recorded in Luxembourg, Slovakia and Malta.

Annual growth slowed

Compared with September 2025, euro-area retail sales rose 0.4% on a calendar-adjusted basis, down from 1.3% growth a month earlier, while EU sales rose 0.9%. The figures suggest consumer spending slowed in the third quarter, with high energy prices continuing to weigh on confidence. Eurostat’s next retail trade release is scheduled for 4 December 2026.