Spain Retail Trade Shrinks for 1st Time Since 2022

Retail sales in Spain fell by 0.4% year-on-year in August 2026, matching the decline recorded in July and marking the second consecutive annual contraction. Automotive fuel sales dropped 7.1%, while food, beverages and tobacco sales in specialised stores declined 4.4%. Sales of information and communication equipment also fell 1.7%, while household equipment decreased 0.2%. In contrast, cultural and recreation goods recorded strong growth of 11%, followed by retail trade outside traditional stores, stalls and markets, which increased 9.7%. Internet and mail-order sales rose 8.7%, while sales through stalls and markets increased 3.4%. Retail trade excluding service stations grew 0.3%, indicating some resilience outside fuel sales. On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, however, retail trade increased 0.3% in August, reversing July’s 1% decline.

Retail sales in Spain fell by 0.3% year-on-year in July 2026, following an upwardly revised 0.6% rise in the prior month. This was the first annual decline since November 2022 and suggests a moderation in underlying consumer demand. The weakness was evident in food sales, which fell 0.3% after increasing 0.3% in June. Meanwhile, non-food sales growth moderated (2.3% vs 3%), amid a mixed performance across its main components. Slower growth in healthcare products (2% vs 2.9%), was partly offset by stronger sales of personal equipment (3.6% vs 1.4%) and household equipment (4.8% vs 2.9%). On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, retail trade shrank by 0.9%, after a 0.3% increase in the previous month.

Retail sales in Spain increased 0.5% year-on-year in June 2026, the lowest since June 2024, following a 1.3% rise in the previous month. Sales growth eased for non-food products (2.8% vs 3.8% in May), particularly personal equipment (1.5% vs 3.4%) and household equipment (2.9% vs 6.2%). Spending on food also slowed (0.3% vs 1.9%). On the other hand, sales growth accelerated for healthcare products (2.8% vs 2.5%). On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, retail trade increased by 0.3% in June, after a 0.6% rise in May.