Spain Retail Trade Shrinks for 1st Time Since 2022

Spain’s retail sales fell 1.4% year over year in September 2026, following a revised 0.5% decline in August, driven primarily by weaker fuel sales, which dropped 6.4%, and lower sales of food, beverages, and tobacco, which fell 4.2%. In contrast, sales of cultural and recreational goods rose 9.6%, while information and communication equipment increased 4.4%. Online sales continued to grow but slowed to 4.5%, down from 6.6% in August. On a monthly basis, retail sales declined 0.4% in September, reversing a 0.2% increase in the previous month.

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.