Retail sales in the Netherlands increased by 2.9% year-on-year in March 2026, following an upwardly revised 1.5% rise in February. This was the strongest expansion since November 2025 and was largely driven by higher activity in the food sector (1.8% vs 1.4% in February), especially in supermarkets (2% vs 1.6%) and specialty food stores (0.6% vs 0.1%).
Non-food sales also strengthened (3.6% vs 1.6%), supported by higher turnover in furniture and home furnishings (6% vs 5.5%), DIY, kitchen, and flooring (2.5% vs 2.1%), as well as recreational items (4.7% after flat growth in February). By contrast, growth eased in drugstores (2.2% vs 5.3%), clothing (1.6% vs 1.7%), and consumer electronics and white goods (1.2% vs 2.9%).
On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, retail sales rose 1.6% in March, recovering from an upwardly revised 0.2% decline in the previous month.