Poland Retail Sales Growth Slows in July

Poland’s retail sales increased by 3.8% year-on-year in August 2026, easing slightly from 3.9% in July, missing market forecasts of 4.2%. Sales growth slowed for food, beverages, and tobacco products (1.0% vs 1.5% in July) and pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and orthopaedic equipment (6.2% vs 10.8%). On the other hand, sales growth accelerated for motor vehicles, motorcycles, and parts (11.7% vs 8.1%), furniture, radio, TV, and household appliances (10.6% vs 8.8%), and other retail categories (11.1% vs 9.2%). Moreover, sales shifted to growth for solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels (1.1% vs -0.2%) and newspapers, books, and other specialized stores (2.7% vs -1.2%). The decline in textiles, clothing, and footwear also deepened (-2.7% vs -1.7%). On a monthly basis, retail activity fell by 0.3% in August, following a 2.2% increase in July. For the January–August period, retail sales were 3.4% higher than in the same period last year.

Retail sales in Poland eased to 3.9% year-on-year in July 2026 from a 6.2% jump in the previous month, missing market forecasts of 4.5%. Sales growth slowed for motor vehicles, motorcycles, and parts (8.1% vs 9.6% in June), food, beverages, and tobacco (1.5% vs 1.7%), furniture, radio, TV, and household appliances (8.8% vs 14.8%), and other retail categories (9.2% vs 9.9%). Moreover, activity declined for solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels (-0.2% vs 9.0%), textiles, clothing, and footwear (-1.7% vs 3.3%), and newspapers, books, and other specialized stores (-1.2% vs 3.0%). On the other hand, sales increased for pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and orthopaedic equipment (10.8% vs 10.2%). On a monthly basis, retail activity rose by 2.2% in July, following a 1.4% increase in June. For the January–July period, retail sales were 3.7% higher than in the same period last year.

Retail sales in Poland increased by 6.2% year-on-year in June 2026, surpassing market forecasts of a 5.2% gain and accelerating from a 3.0% rise in May. This marked the strongest growth since March, driven by faster increases in sales of furniture, radio, TV and household appliances (14.8% vs 4.5% in May), pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and orthopaedic equipment (10.2% vs 9.3%), and motor vehicles, motorcycles and parts (9.6% vs 2.1%). Sales also rebounded for food, beverages and tobacco products (1.7% vs -2.8%) and newspapers, books and other specialized stores (3.0% vs -0.6%). Meanwhile, growth slowed for solid, liquid and gaseous fuels (9.0% vs 9.9%), textiles, clothing and footwear (3.3% vs 3.8%), and other retail categories (9.9% vs 10.8%). On a monthly basis, retail sales rose by 1.4%, rebounding from a 1.7% decline in May. For the first half of 2026, retail sales were 3.5% higher than in the same period last year.