Croatia Retail Sales Growth Eases in January

Retail sales in Croatia eased to 3% year-on-year in January 2026 from a sixth-month-high 4.8% gain in the previous month. Sales growth slowed for non-food products (5.4% vs 5.6% in December 2025), while activity declined sharply for automotive fuels and lubricants (-5.7% vs 9.4%). Meanwhile, sales increased for food, beverages, and tobacco (6.1% vs 4%) and trade, excluding automotive fuels and lubricants (5.6% vs 4.9%). In addition, activity recovered for trade via the internet or mail order (7.8% vs -0.8%). On a monthly basis, retail activity grew by 1.2% in January, slowing from a 1.7% increase in the preceding period.

Retail sales growth in Croatia increased by 4.8% year-on-year in December 2025, from a more than two-year low of 1.4% in the previous month. This marked the highest level since June, as sales rose at a faster pace for non-food products (5.6% vs. 4.2% in November), automotive fuels and lubricants (9.4% vs. 6.8%), and trade, excluding automotive fuels and lubricants, in specialized stores (4.9% vs. 1%). In addition, sales rebounded for food, beverages, and tobacco (4% vs. -2.6%). Meanwhile, trade via the internet or mail order declined (-0.8% vs. 7.9%). On a monthly basis, retail activity rose 0.7%, rebounding from a 0.5% fall in the previous month.

Retail sales growth in Croatia eases to 1.4% year-on-year in November 2025 from 4.1% in the previous month. This marked the slowest increase since a decline in March 2023, as growth moderated for non-food products (4.1% vs 7.7% in October) and automotive fuels and lubricants (6.6% vs 9.0%). At the same time, sales of food, beverages, and tobacco fell 2.6%, following a 1.6% rise in the prior month. Meanwhile, internet or mail-order trade grew at a faster pace (8.2% vs 5.1%). On a monthly basis, retail sales dropped by 2.2% in November, reversing a 1.3% increase in October and marking the steepest fall since March 2021. For the January–November period, retail sales grew 3.6% compared to the same period a year earlier.