Romania’s retail sales down 9.1% y/y in January

The retail sales volume in Romania dropped by 9.1% y/y in January, according to the statistics office INS. The first high energy bills received in this season, the wages rising significantly slower than prices for two consecutive quarters last year, and the gloomy outlook for a broad category of households (retired persons, public sector employees) eroded the propensity for consumption, and the first restrictions were in the non-essential segments.

In 2025, the sales edged up a mere 0.2% y/y on average, with the annual growth rate entering the negative area in Q4 (-3.3% y/y).