Czech Retail Sales Grow by 4.8%: Online Sales Rise by 12.4%

In July, the Czech retail sector posted a 4.8% increase in sales in real terms compared with the same month last year. The Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ) reported this on September 4. Compared with June, sales rose by 0.6%. This marks the 32nd consecutive month of year-over-year growth.

The pace is picking up. In June, year-over-year growth had stood at 3.6%. The July figure is thus 1.2 percentage points higher.

Online retail and non-food sales are driving growth

Mail-order and online retail provided the strongest boost, with a 12.4% increase. Non-food retail grew by 6.6%. Fuel sales rose by 4.0%, while food sales increased by only 2.7%.

Among specialty stores, clothing, shoes, and leather goods led the way with an 8.8% increase. Pharmacies and retailers of medical goods saw a 7.8% rise in sales. The automotive sector remained nearly flat, with a 0.5% increase.

Jana Gotvaldová, head of retail statistics at the ČSÚ, interprets the figures as follows. “Online retail contributed the most to the rise in sales,” she says, according to a ČSÚ press release. She emphasizes: “Price-adjusted retail sales rose in July for the 32nd consecutive month compared to the previous year.” Both quotes have been translated from English. Statisticians therefore see the strength not in supermarkets, but online and on the shelves of consumer goods. The July figures are preliminary; the final data will be released in March 2027.

Consumers Are More Confident About the Future in September

Household sentiment is also improving. The consumer confidence indicator rose by 2.8 points to 105.1 in September, the ČSÚ announced on September 24. Fewer households expect the economy to weaken. More households expect their personal finances to improve. Fewer households plan to postpone major purchases.

Confidence in the retail sector rose by 1.7 points. By contrast, the service sector, manufacturing, and construction reported declines of 2.3, 2.0, and 0.6 points, respectively.

What this means for German exporters

Czech consumer spending is driving the economy, and it is shifting online. This has been the case for more than two years, as evidenced by 32 consecutive months of growth. German manufacturers of clothing, shoes, drugstore items, and electronics are seeing growing demand there. Those who supply goods to the Czech Republic should specifically target online retailers as customers. Growth remains modest for food and cars. Suppliers in these sectors need price discipline rather than growth plans. Fuel sales are also growing at a modest 4.0%. The ČSÚ data for August will be released in October.

Sources: ČSÚ, Retail Sales July 2026 (EN); ČSÚ, Economic and Consumer Confidence September 2026 (EN)

SK, Frankfurt