Italy’s retail sales edge up 0.2% in May; online sales jump nearly 12%

Italy’s retail sales rose modestly in May 2026, supported by continued growth in online spending and large-scale retail, according to the latest data released by the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT). Seasonally adjusted retail sales increased by 0.2 per cent in value and 0.1 per cent in volume compared with April, while year-on-year sales rose 2.2 per cent in value and 0.4 per cent in volume.Over the three months to May, retail sales increased by 1.2 per cent in value and 0.5 per cent in volume compared with the previous three-month period, indicating a gradual improvement in consumer spending, ISTAT said in a press release.

Italy’s retail sales rose 0.2 per cent in value and 0.1 per cent in volume in May 2026, with annual value growth at 2.2 per cent.
Online retail climbed 11.9 per cent year on year, while large-scale retailers outpaced smaller outlets, shifting fashion channels.
Non-food sales rose 2.2 per cent in value, led by a 4.2 per cent gain in clothing, while food values were supported by higher prices.

Large-scale retailers continued to outperform smaller outlets, with sales value rising 2.7 per cent year on year compared with 0.9 per cent for small-scale retailers. Online retail remained the strongest-performing channel, recording an 11.9 per cent annual increase in sales value, while non-store retail sales declined by 2.1 per cent.

Non-food sales rose 2.2 per cent in value and 0.9 per cent in volume over the same period. Clothing sales rose 4.2 per cent year on year, while food retail sales increased 2.0 per cent in value compared with May 2025, although volumes fell 0.4 per cent, indicating that higher prices continued to support sales values.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (CG)