Retail sales in the Netherlands rose by 3.1% year-on-year in October 2025, easing from a 3.8% increase in the previous month. This marked the slowest growth in retail activity since May, driven by a softer increase of food sales (3.2% vs 4.2% in September), particularly in supermarkets (3.7% vs 5%), while trade in specialty stores grew marginally (0.1% vs -0.7%). Additionally, activity growth moderated for non-food products (3.1% vs 3.6%), due to a decline in sales for consumer electronics and white goods (-1.7% vs -2.5%) and a slower rise in trade for clothing (2.2% vs 4.6%) and furniture and home furnishings (4.5% vs 4.6%). On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, retail activity decreased by 0.2% in October, reversing a 0.3% advance in the preceding period.
