Turkey Retail Sales Growth Picks Up in September

Retail sales in Turkey climbed by 18.8% year-on-year in January 2026, accelerating from an upwardly revised 16.5% rise in the previous month. This marked the fastest growth in retail activity since March 2024, mainly driven by higher sales for non-food products (26.4% vs 20.2% in December), particularly computers, books, and communication devices (43.1% vs 30.1%), mail-order and internet sales (29.7% vs 17.4%), medical products and cosmetics (15.4% vs 22.7%), and textiles, clothing and footwear (14.9% vs 6.6%). In contrast, trade increased at a softer pace for electrical appliances and furniture (2% vs 8.7%). Additionally, sales growth slowed for food, beverages and tobacco (9.5% vs 10.2%) and automotive fuel (0.5% vs 8.6%). On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, retail trade rose by 2.4% in January, marking its sharpest increase in four months, following an upwardly revised 1.9% gain in the preceding period.

Retail sales in Turkey climbed 16.3% year-on-year in December 2025, accelerating from a 14.9% increase in November and marking the strongest increase since May. Trade growth picked up for non-food products (20.3% vs 17% in November), particularly computers, peripheral equipment and software (29.7% vs 26.1%), audio and video equipment (9.1% vs 8.2%), and pharmaceutical, medical and orthopedic goods (22.1% vs 21%). Sales of textiles, clothing and footwear also rebounded, rising 8.4% after a 1.5% decline in November. On the other hand, growth slowed for food, beverages and tobacco (9.6% vs 11.6%), mail-order and internet sales (16.7% vs 18.3%), and automotive fuel (8.3% vs 10%). On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, retail trade increased 1.7%, unchanged from the revised November figure, and defying expectations of a 0.2% fall.

Retail sales in Turkey increased by 14.2% year-on-year in November 2025, easing from an upwardly revised four-month high of 15.3% in the previous month. It marked the weakest retail growth since August, as sales moderated for cultural and recreational goods in specialized stores (5% vs 8.1%) and other goods in specialized stores (17.5% vs 31%). Meanwhile, sales increased at a faster pace for food, beverages, and tobacco in specialized stores (17.2% vs 12.6%), automotive fuel (10.2% vs 7.6%), information and communication equipment (23% vs 16.1%), household equipment (7.8% vs 5.8%), sales via stalls and markets (10% vs 1.4%), sales not in stores, stalls, or markets (16.1% vs 6%), and sales in non-specialized stores (11% vs 8%). On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, retail activity climbed 1.5% from an upwardly revised 0.3% gain in October.