Russia Retail Sales Rise More than Expected

Retail sales in Russia rose by 3.9% year-on-year in September 2026, following a 3.3% increase in August and overshooting market forecasts for a 3.5% advance. Spending on food products rose at a faster 3.7% in September, compared to 2.3% in August. Sales of non-food products increased by 4.1%, maintaining the pace seen in the month before. On a monthly basis, retail trade declined by 4%, the most since January, after a 0.3% rise in the previous month. In the third quarter of 2026, retail sales grew by 4.2% over a year ago.

Retail sales in Russia rose by 6.5% year-on-year in April 2026, up from a 6.2% increase in March and marking the strongest growth since last October. Growth continued to be driven by non-food goods, whose sales jumped 9.2% annually in April, accelerating slightly from 9.0% in March. Sales of food products, beverages, and tobacco also strengthened, rising 3.6% after a 3.2% gain in the previous month. On a monthly basis, retail turnover eased 2.2% following a revised 14.9% surge in March. In the first four months of the year, cumulative retail sales climbed 4.3% from a year earlier.

Retail sales in Russia jumped by 6.2% year-on-year in March 2026, the strongest pace in five months, following a revised 2.0% gain in February. The surge was driven by non-food goods, which jumped 9.1% from 3.4% previously. Spending on food products also increased at a faster 3.1% compared to 0.6% in the month before. On a monthly basis, retail sales soared by 14.9%, after a revised 2% decline in the previous month. In the first quarter, retail sales grew 3.6% compared to 2.8% in the same period a year ago.