Croatia Retail Sales Growth Eases to Over 3-Year Low

Retail sales in Croatia rose by 0.5% year-on-year in May 2026, easing from a 2.0% increase in the previous month, marking the softest growth since March 2023. Sales growth moderated for food, beverages, and tobacco (1.9% vs 2.6% in April). Additionally, activity recorded a flat reading for non-food products excluding automotive fuels and lubricants (vs 2.8%). On the other hand, sales declined at a softer pace for automotive fuels and lubricants (-11.8% vs -15.1%), while retail sales via the internet or mail order recovered (3.6% vs -3.6%). On a monthly basis, retail trade declined by 2.0% in May, following a 0.2% drop in the preceding period. For the January–May period, retail activity increased by 2.3% compared with the same period a year earlier.

Retail sales in Croatia rose by 2.0% year-on-year in April 2026, easing from a 3.3% increase in the previous month. This marked the softest growth since November last year, as sales increased at a slower pace for food, beverages, and tobacco (2.6% vs 3.2% in March) and for non-food products excluding automotive fuels and lubricants (2.8% vs 8.0%). At the same time, sales of automotive fuels and lubricants declined sharply (-15.1% vs -5.0%), while retail sales via the internet or mail order turned negative (-3.6% vs 3.7%). Meanwhile, retail trade excluding automotive fuels and lubricants in specialised stores rose 3.9%, following a 4.6% increase in March. On a monthly basis, retail trade fell 0.2%, after a 0.9% rise in March. For the January–April period, retail sales went up by 2.8% compared with the same period a year earlier.

Retail sales in Croatia rose by 3.3% year-on-year in March 2026 from 3.1% in the previous month. This marked the highest level since December 2025, as sales increased in non-food products excluding automotive fuels and lubricants (8% vs 6.5% in February). At the same time, activity declined at a softer pace for automotive fuels and lubricants (-4.7% vs -8.7%). In contrast, sales growth moderated for food, beverages, and tobacco (3.1% vs 5.8%), trade excluding automotive fuels and lubricants in specialized stores (4.6% vs 6.1%), and retail activity via the internet or mail order (4.9% vs 13%). On a monthly basis, retail activity grew by 0.9% in March, rebounding from a 0.2% drop in the preceding period. For the January-March period, retail sales increased by 3.1% compared with the same period a year earlier.