BULGARIA RANKS THIRD IN THE EU FOR ANNUAL RETAIL TRADE GROWTH IN JULY, ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY DATA FROM EUROSTAT.
While retail trade volumes across the EU fell by 0.4% and by 0.5% in the euro area compared to June, Bulgaria stood out with a 0.6% monthly increase — the seventh highest among all member states.
On a yearly basis, retail sales in Bulgaria grew by 6% compared to July 2024, marking the third highest annual growth in the EU, after Cyprus (+8.5%) and Portugal (+6.1%). This comes after even stronger growth in June (+6.8%) and May (+7.2%).
Across the EU, July saw a decline in food, drinks and tobacco sales (-0.9%) and in automotive fuels (-1.3%), while non-food products rose slightly (+0.2%). The only EU country to record an annual drop was Slovenia (-0.7%).
Bulgaria’s consistent growth highlights the resilience of its retail sector despite the broader slowdown across the European market.
