Retail sales in the Netherlands rose by 1.3% year-on-year in February 2026, easing from a downwardly revised 1.6% increase in the previous month. The latest figure marked the weakest growth since September 2016, driven by slower sales increase in the food sector (1.4% vs 2.3% in January), particularly in supermarkets (1.6% vs 3%), while activity rebounded in specialty stores (0.1% vs -3.1%). Meanwhile, sales growth remained steady for non-food products (at 1.2%), with turnover increasing for furniture and home furnishings (5.5% vs -3.8%), drugstores (5.3% vs 5%), DIY, kitchens, floors (2.1% vs -2%), and clothing (1.7% vs 0.3%). Conversely, activity rose at a softer pace for consumer electronics and white goods (2.9% vs 8.9%), and shoes and leather goods (1.8% vs 4.5%). On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, retail activity fell by 0.3% in February, reversing a 0.4% gain in the preceding period.
