Italy Retail Trade Barely Grows in September

Retail sales in Italy rose by just 0.1% month-on-month in September 2026, following a 0.3% increase in August and missing forecasts of a 0.2% gain. Food sales remained unchanged, compared with a 0.7% increase in August, while non-food sales rose by 0.3%, after being flat in the previous month. On a yearly basis, retail sales grew by 1.6%, picking up from a 0.5% increase in the prior month, driven by both food (1.7%) and non-food products (1.5%). IT and telecommunications equipment posted the strongest growth among non-food categories (+5.7%), while clothing and furs were the only segment to decline (-0.6%). Sales increased in all forms of distribution, but online retail (+8.5%) remained particularly dynamic. In the third quarter of 2026, retail sales fell by 0.3% in value and by 0.5% in volume compared with the previous three-month period.

The value of retail sales in Italy rose 0.3% month-on-month in August 2026, following a 0.4% fall in July and beating market expectations for a 0.1% decrease. Food sales rebounded 0.8%, compared with a 0.4% drop in July, while non-food sales were unchanged after falling 0.4% previously. On an annual basis, retail sales grew 0.5%, the smallest increase since a decline in March 2025, slowing from an upwardly revised 1% rise in July. The slowdown reflected weaker non-food sales, which increased 0.2% compared with 1.2% in July, offsetting a pickup in food sales, which rose 0.9% after increasing 0.4% previously. Among non-food products, the largest increase was seen in IT, telecommunications, and telephone equipment (6.7%), which was offset by a drop in footwear, leather goods, and travel goods (-4.1%). By distribution channel, retail sales went up at large retail outlets (1.1%) and in online commerce (5.4%).

The value of retail sales in Italy decreased 0.4% month-on-month in July 2026, following a revised 0.2% fall in June and against market forecasts for a 0.2% increase. It marked the second consecutive monthly decline, amid lower sales of both food (-0.4% vs -0.6% in June) and non-food products (-0.4% vs 0.2%). On an annual basis, retail sales went up 0.8%, the smallest increase since September 2025, decelerating from a 3.1% rise in the previous month, as growth slowed for both food (0.3% vs 1.9%) and non-food (1.1% vs 4.0%) sales. Among non-food products, notable gains were recorded in sales of household appliances, radios, televisions, and tape recorders (6.1%) and other products (5.0%), though these were partly offset by a decline in footwear, leather goods, and travel goods (-2.8%). By distribution channel, retail sales increased at large retail outlets (1.6%) and in online commerce (2.4%).