Retail sales in Romania fell by 4.7% year-on-year in May 2026, easing from a downwardly revised 6.2% drop in the previous month.
This marked the tenth consecutive month of decline in retail activity albeit at a softer pace, driven largely by a smaller decrease in sales for automotive fuel in specialized stores (-2% vs -2.2%).
Turnover also declined at a lesser extent for food, beverages, and tobacco (-4.3% vs -6.1% in April) and non-food products (-5.3% vs -7.6%).
On a monthly basis, retail activity grew by 1.3% in May, rebounding from a downwardly revised 2.4% drop in the preceding period.