Hungria, Budapest Business Journal, Hungaro

Retail sales volume rose by 8.2% year-on-year in calendar-adjusted terms, or 10.6% based on raw data. On a monthly basis, seasonally and calendar-adjusted figures showed a 1.9% increase compared to February, indicating continued momentum in consumer spending.

The strongest growth was recorded in automotive fuel retailing, where sales volumes surged by 20.6%, broadly in line with trends in fuel consumption. Non-food retailing also performed strongly, with an overall increase of 8.4%. Within this category, sales rose by 10% in non-specialized stores selling manufactured goods, by 9.1% in books, computer equipment and other specialized shops, and by 7.3% in furniture and electrical goods outlets. Pharmaceutical and cosmetics stores saw a 6.5% increase, while textiles and clothing sales grew by 4.5%.

Food retailing posted more moderate growth, with overall volumes up 2.6%. Within this segment, non-specialized food and beverage stores, which account for the bulk of the category, saw a 4.2% increase, while specialized food, beverage and tobacco stores recorded a 2.7% decline.

Online and mail-order retailing continued to expand, with sales rising by 10%, accounting for 8.8% of total retail turnover.

At current prices, domestic retail sales reached HUF 1,799 billion in March. Food shops accounted for 48% of total turnover, followed by non-food retail at 36% and automotive fuel stations at 16%.

Looking at the first quarter as a whole, retail sales volume increased by 5.3% year-on-year. Growth was led by automotive fuel retailing, up 11.2%, followed by non-food retail at 6.1%, while food retailing rose by 2%.

The data suggests that household consumption remains a key driver of economic activity, with broad-based growth across retail segments, although spending patterns continue to favor non-food goods and fuel over everyday grocery purchases.