Estonia Retail Sales Growth Rises in March

Retail sales in Estonia rose by 6.9% year-on-year in March 2026 from 4.8% in the previous month, driven by stronger growth in non-food products excluding fuel, which climbed to 10.1% from 7.9%. Meanwhile, sales of automotive fuel in specialised stores eased to 14.8% from 16.9% in February, while the decline in food, beverages, and tobacco narrowed to 1.8% from 2.6%, with continued weakness attributed to higher food prices. On a monthly basis, retail activity rebounded sharply, rising 14.5% in March after a 5.8% contraction in the prior month. During the January-March period, retail sales volumes grew by 7% compared with the same period last year.

Retail sales in Estonia increased by 4.8% year-on-year in February 2026, down from a near four-year high rise of 8.2% in January. Growth moderated in automotive fuel sold in specialized stores, which rose 16.9% compared with 24.2% in the previous month, and non-food products excluding fuel, which increased 7.9% from 12.7% in January. At the same time, retail activity continued to contract for food, beverages, and tobacco, declining 2.6% compared with a 1.8% drop in the prior month. On a monthly basis, retail sales fell 5.8% in February, slowing from a 13.6% decline in the preceding period.

Retail sales in Estonia surged 8.2% year-on-year in January 2026, rebounding from a 0.4% decline in December and marking the highest growth since April 2022. Sales of motor fuel in specialised stores jumped to 24.2% in January from 10.2% in the previous month, mainly due to falling fuel prices. The sales revenue of motor fuel retailers includes not only fuel sales but also total revenue from other goods and services, such as catering, while sales in industrial goods stores rose 13% year-on-year. Conversely, grocery store sales fell 2% year-on-year, driven by higher food prices. On a monthly basis, retail sales declined 13.6%, reversing a 13.2% gain in December, a typical drop following the holiday surge.