German retail started the year 2026 with a setback. In January, sales fell by 0.9 percent (in real terms) compared to the previous month, as the Federal Statistical Office announced on Monday in Wiesbaden. The setback came as a surprise to analysts. On average, they expected stagnation. In December, sales rose by a revised 1.2 percent.
Real food retail sales in January remained unchanged at the previous month’s level. In the non-food retail sector, calendar and seasonally adjusted sales fell by 1.7 percent. Online and mail order sales recorded a real increase of 2.5 percent.
