Danish Retail Sales Growth Accelerates to 11-Month High

Retail sales in Denmark rose by 1.3% year-on-year in April 2026, reversing a from a downwardly revised 7.0% increase in the prior month. This marked the slowest growth since the contraction in June 2025, as sales slipped for both liquid fuel filling station (-13.4% vs -7.2% in March) and supermarkets, department stores and specialized grocery stores (-2.3% vs 4.2%). In addition, sales moderated for consumer electronics (14.9% vs 19.0%), household equipment, furniture, and building materials (2.6% vs 10.4%), pharmacies and personal care products (3.5% vs 9.7%), and second-hand goods (16.6% vs 19.1%). On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, retail activity fell by 1.8% in April, reversing an upwardly revised 2.8% rise in the previous month.

Retail sales in Denmark climbed 7.1% year-on-year in March 2026, accelerating from a downwardly revised eight-month low of 1.9% in the prior month. It marked the strongest growth since January 2022, as sales increased at a faster pace in supermarkets, department stores and specialized grocery stores (4.4% vs 0.5% in February), consumer electronics (19.1% vs 13%), household equipment, furniture, and building materials (10.5% vs 4.3%), clothing, footwear and jewelry (10% vs 3.6%), pharmacies and personal care products (10.5% vs 5.1%), and second-hand goods (22.2% vs 11.6%). In addition, trade rebounded in cultural and leisure products (12.9% vs -6%). Meanwhile, sales continued to decline for liquid fuel filling stations (-7% vs -2.5%). On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, retail activity rose 2.5%, rebounding from a downwardly revised 0.2% fall in February. Over the first quarter of 2026, retail sales growth eased to 0.9% from 1.5% in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Retail sales in Denmark rose 2.2% year-on-year in February 2026, slowing from a 3.8% gain in the previous month. This marked the weakest annual growth since June 2025, as sales moderated in supermarkets, department stores, and specialized grocery stores (0.3% vs 1.9% in January), household equipment, furniture, and building materials (5.2% vs 7.8%), clothing, footwear, and jewelry (4.6% vs 6.1%), and second-hand goods (9.6% vs 16.5%). In addition, sales tumbled for cultural and leisure products (-5% vs 4.8%). On the other hand, declines softened at fuel stations (-0.4% vs -3.8%), while retail growth accelerated in both consumer electronics (12.8% vs 11.8%) and pharmacies and personal care (5% vs 3.5%). On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, retail activity fell 0.3%, reversing an upwardly revised 0.8% gain in January.