Romania’s retail sales further contract by 5.4% y/y in April

Romania’s retail sales posted a 5.4% y/y contraction in April, after they dropped by 5.9% y/y in Q1, according to data published by the statistics office INS. The seasonally-adjusted sales returned to the weak readings in January-February after a brief improvement in March, along a downward trend driven by the shrinking household incomes but also by fragile consumer confidence.

Private consumption thus returned to more sustainable levels, after steep expansion (+8.6%) in 2024, followed by a modest 0.2% advance in 2025.