Latvia Retail Sales Rise in May

Retail sales in Latvia rose by 3.3% year-on-year in May 2026 from a downwardly revised 2.5% growth in the previous month. Sales increased for food products (2.9% vs 1.8% in April), non-specialized stores (3.0% vs 1.6%), and non-food products, except for automotive fuel (5.5% vs 2.8%), lifted by higher sales in electrical household appliances (5.7% vs 3.1%), via mail order houses or via internet (12.3% vs 4.3%), hardware, paints, and glass (9.0% vs 5.3%), other household equipment (8.5% vs 3.7%), textiles, carpets, rugs, walls, and floor coverings (11.3% vs 0.4%), and not in stores, stalls, or markets (10.9% vs 3.6%). On the other hand, activity declined for automotive fuel (-2.1% vs 2.9%). On a monthly basis, retail sales fell by 0.1% in May, following a 0.4% drop in the preceding period.

Retail sales in Latvia increased 2.6% year-on-year in April 2026, easing from an upwardly revised 4.2% in the previous month, marking the weakest growth since December 2025. Sales slowed for non-food products, except for retail sale of automotive fuel (2.9% vs 5.4% in March), as well as for communication equipment in specialized stores (5.3% vs 11.9%), hardware, instruments, construction materials and sanitary equipment (5.2% vs 11.1%), cultural and recreation goods (5.9% vs 12.4%), and automotive fuel (3% vs 6.6%). Sales also declined in non-specialised stores (-1.6% vs 1.8%) and clothing, footwear, and leather goods (-8.8% vs 3.7%). In contrast, retail activity rose in electrical household appliances (3% vs 1.9%), pharmaceutical and medical goods (9.2% vs 2.7%), cosmetic and toilet articles (2.9% vs 2.2%), and sales via mail order houses or via the internet (4.5% vs 0.7%). On a monthly basis, retail sales fell 0.4% in April, deepening from a 0.1% drop in March.

Retail sales in Latvia increased 3.9% year-on-year in March 2026, following a downwardly revised 4% rise in February. The largest gains were recorded in sales of cultural and recreation goods, sports equipment (12.4%); information and communication equipment in specialised stores (11.8%) and hardware, instruments, construction materials and sanitary equipment (11.4%). In contrast, a decrease was seen in retail sales in stalls or markets (-6.4%). Compared to February, retail sales edged down 0.1%, led by falls in retail sales of pharmaceutical and medical goods (-3.5%) and information and communication equipment in specialised stores (-2.7%).