In the EU, retail trade volume increased by 0.3% for food, drinks and tobacco and by 0.5% for non-food products, while automotive fuel sales in specialised stores fell by 1.3%. On an annual basis, non-food products (+2.2%) continued to grow faster than food, drinks and tobacco (+1.4%), while fuel sales were down 1.9%. The July figures were revised: the EU monthly change moved from -0.4% to -0.5% and the annual increase from +1.0% to +0.9%.

Among Member States, the largest monthly increases were recorded in Romania (+2.3%), Sweden (+1.4%) and Germany (+1.3%, following a 3.2% fall in July), and the largest decreases in Luxembourg (-9.4%), Malta (-1.9%) and Latvia (-1.4%). Annual growth was strongest in Sweden (+7.7%), Cyprus (+7.5%) and Estonia (+6.0%), while Malta (-2.4%), Spain (-0.6%), Italy (-0.5%) and Germany (-0.4%) recorded declines. The spread between national markets, together with the pattern of non-food outpacing food sales, gives retailers operating across several Member States a useful benchmark for demand by category and country. The next release is scheduled for 6 November 2026.

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