Eurozone retail sales beat expectations in May

Retail sales in the Eurozone showed resilience in May 2025, with monthly data slightly better than forecast. According to Eurostat, sales declined by 0.7% compared to April—beating expectations of a 0.8% drop. April's figure was also revised upward to +0.3% from a preliminary 0.1%.

On a yearly basis, retail sales rose by 1.8%, a solid performance above the 1.2% forecast. However, this marks a slowdown from the previous month’s revised growth of 2.7% (initially 2.3%).

Across the broader European Union (EU27), retail sales dropped by 0.8% month-over-month, while annual growth stood at 1.9%.

These figures suggest moderate consumer resilience despite tighter financial conditions and ongoing economic uncertainty across the bloc.