Eurostat reports that retail trade volume in the euro area fell by 0.2 % in February 2026 compared with January, while the broader EU saw a 0.3 % decline. In both areas, sales were flat in January. Despite the month‑to‑month dip, February’s volume was 1.7 % higher than in February 2025. Within the euro area, sales of food, drinks and tobacco fell 0.5 %, non‑food items remained stable and automotive fuel in specialised stores rose 0.7 %. The EU experienced similar patterns, with a 0.5 % drop in food, a 0.2 % drop in non‑food, and a 1.0 % rise in fuel. The sharpest monthly falls were in Lithuania (‑2.5 %), Poland (‑2.4 %) and Slovenia (‑2.0 %), while Malta, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Portugal recorded gains of up to 2.0 %. Year‑on‑year, the euro area saw increases of 1.0 % for food, 2.3 % for non‑food and 1.4 % for fuel; the EU’s gains were 0.9 %, 2.3 % and 1.6 % respectively. Annual growth was strongest in Luxembourg (+11.9 %), Malta (+11.4 %) and Bulgaria (+7.3 %), whereas Romania, Slovenia and Slovakia saw declines of 6.8 %, 3.5 % and 2.4 %.
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Summary adapted from European Union content. This content is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
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