German Retail Sales Stumble in April, Snapping Growth Streak

German Retail Sales Stumble in April, Snapping Growth Streak

Friday 30th May 2025 – 07:22 (BST)

Retail sales in Germany contracted by 1.1% in April from the previous month, marking the first decline since December and falling short of analysts’ expectations for a modest 0.2% gain. The figures follow a revised 0.9% rise in March, suggesting renewed pressure on consumer spending despite recent signs of resilience.

The downturn was broad-based: sales in the non-food segment fell 1.3%, food sales dipped 0.1% and online retail also edged 0.2% lower. On an annual basis, however, retail turnover rose by 2.3% – down from March’s 3.3% increase but still ahead of the 1.8% forecast. This was driven by solid gains in both food (+2.3%) and non-food (+2.6%), while e-commerce volumes soared 14.1%.

Markets appeared largely unshaken by the data with GBP/EUR trading around €1.18 and EUR/USD €1.13. Elsewhere, Frankfurt’s DAX index hovered above the 24,000 level in early trading on Friday, posting marginal gains as investors balanced persistent trade uncertainty with a busy slate of economic releases. In a significant legal development, a US federal appeals court reinstated former President Donald Trump’s tariffs – just a day after a lower court had ruled them an overreach of executive power.