Dutch Retail Sales Growth Cools Sharply to 1.2% in May

Retail sales growth in the Netherlands slowed notably in May 2026, with year-over-year expansion easing to 1.2%, down from 3.0% in April 2026. The data, updated on 1 July 2026, highlight a marked loss of momentum in consumer spending as measured against the same month a year earlier.

Both the current May reading and the previous April figure are calculated on a year-over-year basis, comparing each month’s sales to the corresponding month in the prior year. The deceleration from 3.0% to 1.2% suggests Dutch retailers are seeing weaker growth in turnover heading into the middle of 2026, potentially reflecting more cautious consumer behavior or emerging headwinds in domestic demand.