German retail sales experienced a decline in May 2025, according to preliminary data released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on Monday. Calendar- and seasonally adjusted real turnover decreased by 1.6 percent, while nominal turnover fell by 1.2 percent compared to April.
Despite this monthly decrease, turnover remains higher than levels recorded in May 2024. Real turnover saw a 1.6 percent increase and nominal turnover rose by 2.8 percent year-on-year.
A revised assessment of April’s performance indicated a smaller decline than initially reported. Real turnover decreased by 0.6 percent in April compared to March (previously estimated at -1.1 percent), while nominal turnover fell by 0.7 percent (previously -1.2 percent).
Within the retail sector, food retailers saw a calendar- and seasonally adjusted real turnover decrease of 1.3 percent and a nominal decline of 0.8 percent compared to the previous month. Year-on-year, food retail turnover rose by a real 0.5 percent and nominally by 3.4 percent.
Non-food retailers also registered a decrease in calendar- and seasonally adjusted turnover in May, with real turnover down 2.2 percent and nominal turnover falling by 1.9 percent month-on-month. However, year-on-year, non-food retailers experienced a real turnover increase of 2.0 percent and a nominal increase of 2.4 percent.
The online and mail-order retail sector saw a decline of 1.4 percent in both real and nominal turnover compared to April. However, reflecting a continued shift to online channels, the sector reported significant growth when compared to May 2024, with real turnover up 9.3 percent and nominal turnover climbing 9.2 percent.