02.02.202606:08:46UTC+00Dutch Retail Sales Growth Slows to 7-Month Low

In December 2025, retail sales in the Netherlands grew by 3% compared to the same month in the previous year, slowing down from a revised growth of 4.3% in November. This marks the slowest growth rate since May. Non-food sales experienced a deceleration, increasing by 1.9% compared to November’s 4.3%. Notably, gains in sectors such as recreational goods (2.7% vs 3.7%), drugstores (2.3% vs 8.4%), and clothing stores (2% vs 2.1%) were smaller. Furthermore, there were renewed declines in sales at DIY stores, including those selling kitchens and flooring (-0.3% vs 3.7%), furniture and home furnishings (-0.7% vs 4.8%), and shoes and leather goods (-1.3% vs 3.4%). In contrast, food sales saw a further increase, rising by 5% compared to 4.3% in November, primarily driven by strong supermarket sales, which rose to 6.1% from 4.5%. Online sales also increased, though at a slower pace of 4.3%, down from the previous month’s 7.3% growth. On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, sales declined by 0.9%, marking the first monthly drop in seven months, following a revised increase of 0.6% in November. For the entire year of 2025, retail sales were up by 3.6% compared to 2024.