Cyprus Retail Trade Growth Accelerates

Retail sales in Cyprus rose 7.5% year-on-year in May 2026, accelerating from 2.9% in April and marking the strongest growth in four months. Clothing and footwear recorded the largest increase, with sales surging 19.4% after a 3.8% rise in April. Growth also strengthened for food in specialised stores, which increased 1.2% after a 3.3% drop, supermarkets (7.4% vs. 2.4%), household equipment (13.3% vs. 11.7%), cultural and recreational goods (11.3% vs. 11.2%), and pharmaceuticals (4.0% vs. 1.8%). Meanwhile, sales growth eased slightly for information and communication equipment (17.6% vs. 17.7%), while sales of flowers, plants, watches, jewellery, and second-hand goods fell 2.1% after rising 8.2%. Automotive fuel sales remained in decline (-3.8% vs. -3.6%). In the first five months of 2026, retail sales increased 5.9% compared with the same period a year earlier.

Retail sales in Cyprus increased by 2.9% year-on-year in April 2026, slowing from 5.8% in the previous month. This marked the softest expansion in retail activity since January 2025, driven mainly by weaker growth in food, beverages, and tobacco in non-specialized stores (2.4% vs 4.5% in March), information and communication equipment (17.7% vs 35.3%), other household equipment (11.7% vs 12.8%), and pharmaceuticals, orthopedic goods, and cosmetics (1.8% vs 8.4%). At the same time, sales of automotive fuel declined (-3.6% vs 9.8%), while non-store retail sales continued to fall (-3.4% vs -0.2%). Meanwhile, turnover rebounded in clothing and footwear (3.8% vs -0.8%), while declines eased in food, beverages, and tobacco in specialized stores (-3.3% vs -4.9%) and in flowers, plants, watches, jewelry, optical goods, and second-hand goods (-8.2% vs -9.7%). In the first four months of 2026, retail sales advanced 5.5% over a year ago.

Retail sales in Cyprus rose by 5.8% year-on-year in March 2026, picking up pace from a 4.1% increase in February. The expansion was driven by strong gains in information and communication equipment, which surged 35.3% (up from 8.8%), alongside a rebound in automotive fuel sales (9.8% vs -2.8%). Other categories showing solid growth included household equipment (12.8% vs 6.6%) and pharmaceuticals, orthopedic goods, and cosmetics (8.4% vs 4.9%). On the other hand, sales declined notably for food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores (-4.9% vs 3.2%), as well as for flowers, jewelry, and second-hand goods (-9.7% vs 5.1%). Clothing and footwear also slipped slightly (-0.8% vs 1.2%). For the first quarter of 2026, retail trade grew by 6.4%.