Germany’s retail sales fell 3.4% month-on-month in July 2026, the steepest decline since July 2021 and well below market expectations for a 0.4% increase, according to provisional Destatis data. The drop was driven partly by a 9.1% plunge in petrol station sales after a fuel discount that applied in May and June expired. Non-food sales fell 4.8%, while online and mail-order sales declined 5.6% from June. Food sales decreased more moderately, falling 0.8%. Overall retail sales were down 2.5% from a year earlier, while Destatis revised June’s real monthly change to 0% from a previously reported 0.7% decline.