Strong uptick in German retail sales observed during June
In a recent announcement by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), retail sales in Germany experienced a significant increase in June 2025. The provisional results showed a 1.0% rise in real terms and a 0.8% increase in nominal terms compared to May 2025.
The growth was particularly noticeable in online and mail order retail, with sales climbing by 9.0% in real terms and 8.5% in nominal terms compared to the previous month. This surge outpaced traditional retail growth, reflecting ongoing structural shifts in consumer shopping habits towards e-commerce and mail order channels.
The strong growth in online retail was driven by several key factors. Improving consumer sentiment and stable inflation supported real wage growth, increasing consumers' purchasing power and willingness to spend, especially in non-food and discretionary sectors.
Discretionary spending rebounded, with non-food retail, including electronics, clothing, and household goods, showing strong growth. Online fashion and footwear sales also recorded double-digit increases, benefiting from seasonal discount campaigns and easing inflationary pressures.
Structural economic shifts also played a role in the growth. Despite weaknesses in some traditional retail segments, rising online and mail order sales contributed to an overall retail rebound. The growth in e-commerce helped offset physical store declines and reflected consumers’ continued preference for digital shopping amid economic uncertainties.
The growth was broad-based, with both food and non-food categories showing increases, indicating a more general recovery in domestic demand rather than growth confined to specific sectors.
In the food retail sector, sales increased by 0.9% in real terms and 3.3% in nominal terms compared to June 2024. Compared to the previous month in June 2025, food retail sales saw a more modest increase of 0.3% in real terms and 0.3% in nominal terms.
It is important to note that the final, official figures for retail sales in June 2025 might differ from the provisional results mentioned. Additionally, the sales development of individual retail sectors was not specifically mentioned in the paragraph.
In May 2025, retail sales decreased by 0.6% in real terms and 0.1% in nominal terms compared to April, after revision of the provisional results. However, the exact figures for retail sales in previous months before May 2025 were not provided in the paragraph.
The growth in online and mail order retail was announced by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), but the sales of retail companies in the individual sectors were not specifically mentioned in the provided paragraph.
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- The strong growth in online retail sales might attract the attention of investors in the finance sector, as it signals increased business opportunities in the e-commerce industry.
- The business landscape in Germany, particularly in the retail sector, is witnessing significant transformations, with online and mail order sales gaining momentum over traditional retail stores.
