Dutch Retail Sales Growth at 13-Month Low

Retail sales in the Netherlands rose by 2.2% year-on-year in January 2026, easing from a 3% increase in the previous month. This marked the softest growth since December 2024, driven by a slower sales increase in the food sector (2.6% vs 5% in December). Food sales growth sharply slowed in supermarkets (3.2% vs 6.1%), while it continued to decline in specialty stores (-0.9% vs -1.5%). Meanwhile, activity increased further in the non-food sector (1.9% vs 1.6%), with significant growth in sales for consumer electronics and white goods (10.8% vs -1.7%) and drugstores (8.9% vs 2.3%). Shoes and leather goods also recovered (4.1% vs -0.3%), while turnover declined for DIY, kitchens, floors (-1.8% vs 0.1%), recreational items (-0.9% vs 3.3%), and clothing (-0.3% vs 2%). On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, retail activity rose by 0.6% in January, rebounding from a 0.9% decrease in the preceding period.

Retail sales in the Netherlands increased by 3% year-on-year in December 2025, easing from an upwardly revised 4.3% rise in November and marking the weakest growth since May. Growth in non-food sales slowed (1.9% vs 4.3% in November), amid smaller gains in recreational goods stores (2.7% vs 3.7%), drugstores (2.3% vs 8.4%), clothing stores (2% vs 2.1%), alongside renewed declines in DIY stores, including kitchens and flooring (-0.3% vs 3.7%), furniture and home furnishings stores (-0.7% vs 4.8%), and shoes and leather goods stores (-1.3% vs 3.4%). Conversely, food sales increased further (5% vs 4.3%), supported mainly by stronger supermarket sales (6.1% vs 4.5%). Online sales rose by 4.3%, slowing from a 7.3% growth in the previous month. On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, sales fell by 0.9%, the first decrease in seven months, after an upwardly revised 0.6% rise in November. For the full year of 2025, retail sales were 3.6% higher than in 2024.

Retail sales in the Netherlands rose by 3.9% year-on-year in November 2025, accelerating from an upwardly revised 3.3% increase in October and marking the strongest growth in three months. Non-food turnover increased by 3.8%, supported by solid gains in drugstores (8.6%), recreational goods (nearly 5%) and DIY stores (over 4%), while furniture, home furnishings and clothing also recorded higher sales. In contrast, turnover at consumer electronics stores declined. Food turnover rose by 4.1%, driven by supermarkets (4.2%) and specialty food stores (2.9%). Online sales continued to outperform overall retail, rising 5.9% year-on-year, led by online-only retailers (6.5%), with particularly strong growth in online food and drugstore sales (11.5%). On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, retail trade increased by 0.5%, rebounding from a 0.1% decline in October and marking the steepest gain in four months.