Core Insights - Retail turnover in Germany increased by 2.7% in real terms in 2025 compared to the previous year, with a notable early growth linked to a restructuring of a major internet and mail-order group [1][2] Group 1: Retail Performance - Real growth reached 3.8% in the first half of 2025 but slowed to 1.7% in the second half [1] - Compared to 2021, real turnover in 2025 was 0.1% lower, while nominal sales were 17.3% higher [2] - Food retail saw a 1.1% rise in real terms and a 3.4% increase in nominal terms, while non-food sales advanced 3.7% in real terms and 4.1% in nominal terms [2] Group 2: E-commerce and Mail Order - Mail order and e-commerce recorded the fastest growth, climbing 10.1% in real terms and 10% nominally, influenced by the restructuring effect [2] - Online and mail-order revenues fell year-on-year and month-on-month in December [3] Group 3: Future Projections - The German Retail Association (HDE) projected retail revenue growth of 2% in 2026, despite challenging conditions for consumption [4] - Total retail sales are expected to reach €697.4 billion ($824.32 billion) in 2026, including €96.3 billion from online channels [5] - HDE forecasts nominal growth in online retail at 4.4%, equivalent to a real rise of 3.5% [4]

Core Insights - Retail trade volumes in the euro area decreased by 0.1% in September 2025 compared to August, while remaining unchanged in the EU [1] - On a year-over-year basis, the retail sales index increased by 1% in the Eurozone and 1.3% in the EU compared to September 2024 [1] Monthly Performance - In the euro area, food, drinks, and tobacco retail volumes were flat, while non-food trade excluding automotive fuel fell by 0.2%, and automotive fuel sales dropped by 1% [2] - Across the EU, food, drinks, and tobacco volumes declined by 0.2%, non-food excluding automotive fuel remained unchanged, and automotive fuel sales decreased by 0.9% [2] Member State Analysis - The largest monthly declines in total retail volumes were observed in Lithuania (down 1.1%), Latvia and Slovenia (both down 0.7%), and Italy (down 0.6%) [3] - The strongest increases were reported in Luxembourg and Malta (both up 1.7%), Estonia (up 1.5%), and Slovakia (up 1.4%) [3] Yearly Comparison - Year-over-year, euro area retail volumes rose by 1% for food, drinks, and tobacco, 1.4% for non-food excluding automotive fuel, and declined by 0.7% for automotive fuel [4] - In the EU, annual volumes increased by 0.5% for food, drinks, and tobacco, 1.9% for non-food excluding automotive fuel, and 0.5% for automotive fuel [4] State-Specific Yearly Changes - The largest annual gains in total retail trade volumes were in Cyprus (up 8.5%), Malta (up 6.6%), and Bulgaria (up 5.7%) [5] - Declines were noted in Italy (down 2.3%), Romania (down 2.1%), Belgium (down 0.8%), and Austria (down 0.1%) [5]