Cyprus Retail Trade Growth Eases in June

Retail sales in Cyprus rose 5.5% year-on-year in June 2026, easing from a 7.5% increase in May. The slowdown mainly reflected weaker growth in food, beverages and tobacco in non-specialised stores (2.1% vs 7.4%), clothing and footwear (17.1% vs 19.4%), and cultural and recreation goods (10.1% vs 11.3%). Sales also continued to decline for automotive fuel (-3.5% vs -3.8%) and food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores (-0.5% vs 1.2%). Meanwhile, growth accelerated for retail sales not in stores (20.5% vs 3.0%), information and communication equipment (20.1% vs 17.6%), other household equipment (14.1% vs 13.3%), and pharmaceuticals, orthopedic goods, cosmetics (5.6% vs 4.0%). Excluding automotive fuel, retail trade rose 6.4%, easing from 8.7% in May. In the first half of 2026, retail sales increased 5.8% compared with the same period a year earlier.

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.