09.01.202608:37:46UTC+00Slovakia Retail Sales Drop Most in Almost 2 Years

In November 2025, Slovakia experienced a 3.2% annual decrease in retail sales, reversing a 0.6% increase from the previous month. This represents the most significant decline in retail activity since December 2023. Sales fell for information and communication technology equipment, dropping by 2.9% compared to a 3.9% rise in October, and for other specialized store goods, which slipped by 0.5% from an 11.3% increase. Additionally, there was a downturn in automotive fuel sales, decreasing by 0.6% following a 0.8% increase. Cultural and recreational goods suffered a significant decline of 12%, compared to a slight 0.6% rise previously. The food, beverages, and tobacco sector saw further deterioration, falling by 12.6% from a previous drop of 9.8%. Sales at stalls and markets, as well as trade outside traditional outlets, both fell by 17.5% compared to reductions of 15.7% and 7.3% respectively. Conversely, sales in non-specialized stores showed signs of recovery with a 0.6% increase, bouncing back from a 0.1% decline. On a monthly scale, retail trade fell by 0.7%, which is consistent with the decline rate observed in October.