Stats: Retail Sales in Slovakia Fell by 1.8% Year-on-year in May

Bratislava, 7 July (TASR) – Retail sales in Slovakia fell by 1.8 percent year-on-year, and the month of May marked the fourth consecutive month of annual decline when adjusted for constant prices, the Statistics Office reported on Monday. On a seasonally adjusted basis, retail sales decreased by 1.3 percent compared to the previous month. Year-on-year declines were recorded in six out of nine retail segments, though these were mainly smaller fields. Their downturn was partially offset by increases in the two largest segments: hyper- and supermarkets, which saw sales rise by 3.1 percent, and specialized stores such as those selling footwear, textiles, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals, which posted a 1.6 percent increase. The most significant drop was observed in DIY stores, furniture retailers, and electronics shops, where sales plunged by 10.6 percent. Online and mail-order sales also fell by 4.6 percent. A sharp decline of 23.2 percent was reported in stores selling sporting goods, books, and toys. Cumulatively, retail sales in the first five months of 2025 were down 1.3 percent year-on-year, with six out of nine retail categories posting declines. Other sectors of domestic trade, however, recorded higher sales than a year earlier. Sales and repairs of motor vehicles rose by 2.1 percent, wholesale trade increased by 11.4 percent, accommodation by 2.1 percent, and restaurants and catering services by 3.4 percent. Month-on-month (seasonally adjusted), the most notable increase was in the accommodation sector, which grew by 11.5 percent. Restaurant and catering services also saw moderate growth of 2 percent. Conversely, sales and repairs of motor vehicles dipped by 1 percent, and wholesale trade dropped by 0.8 percent. For the January–May 2025 period, sales increased year-on-year by 0.5 percent in motor vehicle trade and repairs, 9 percent in wholesale, 1.2 percent in accommodation, and 1.9 percent in restaurants and catering. mf