Romania Retail Sales Slip After Over 2-Year Rise

Retail sales in Romania dropped by 2.1% year-on-year in August 2025, slipping from a downwardly revised and a five-month high of 3.5% increase in the previous month. The latest figure marked the first decline in retail activity since April 2023, as sales decreased at a faster rate for food, beverages, and tobacco (-4.4% vs -0.3% in July). Additionally, trade for non-food products fell by 0.4%, reversing a 5% gain in the prior month, while sales growth slowed significantly for automotive fuels (5.9% vs 11.1%). On a monthly basis, retail activity went down by 4% in August, deepening from a revised 0.7% loss in the preceding period.