2026.02.0509:12:36UTC+00Italy Retail Sales Fall 0.8% in December

In December 2025, Italy experienced a 0.8% decline in retail sales from the previous month, reversing the 0.5% growth seen in the prior two months and deviating from market predictions of a 0.4% increase. This downturn affected both food and non-food categories, with food sales falling by 0.9% compared to a 0.4% rise in November, and non-food sales dropping by 0.7% after a previous increase of 0.6%. Annually, retail sales grew by 0.9%, slowing from the 1.3% growth in the preceding months, primarily due to a deceleration in non-food sales growth to 0.3% from 1.4%, while food sales improved to 1.7% from 1.3%. Within the non-food sector, notable increases were seen in pharmaceuticals (4.6%) and in perfumery and personal care (3.8%). In contrast, there were significant decreases in household tools and hardware (-3.4%) and in footwear, leather goods, and travel goods (-3.3%). Retail sales values rose across all distribution channels: large-scale distribution saw an increase of 0.6%, small retail outlets and out-of-store sales each grew by 0.8%, and e-commerce surged by 3.1%. Overall, the total retail sales for 2025 showed a 0.8% increase over the previous year, 2024.