Biznes Fakty
Retail sales – February 2025. Central Statistical Office data
The Central Statistical Office has announced that retail sales at constant prices in February 2025 decreased by 0.5 percent compared to the previous year and dropped by 6 percent from the previous month. Meanwhile, retail sales at current prices saw a year-on-year increase of 0.6 percent last month.
The consensus forecast from PAP Biznes suggested a rise in retail sales at constant prices of 3.2% year-on-year and a decline of 2.8% month-on-month.
For current prices, economists polled by PAP Biznes anticipated a year-on-year increase of 5.0%.
Online sales
According to the Central Statistical Office, the value of online retail sales at current prices in February 2025 was 5.2% higher when compared to January 2024.
Among the categories with a notable share of online sales, companies in the „textiles, clothing, footwear” segment reported an increase in share (from 24.8% last year to 28.0%), while those in the „press, books, and other specialist store sales” category experienced a decline in share (from 24.2% to 19.7%, respectively).
A slight reduction in share was also noted for the „furniture, electronics, and household appliances” category (from 19.0% to 18.8%).
Economists’ comments
„Oops, it appears the consumer has stumbled. February sales figures are disappointing, showing a decline of 3.2% month-on-month (after seasonally adjusted)” – commented mBank economists regarding the latest data on the X platform.
„Ouch. While January was very promising for retail sales, February saw a significant regression (shifting from +4.8 to -0.5% year-on-year). The slowdown impacted all categories, but the most significant setback was in car sales and a notable drop in the 'Other’ category,” noted Pekao experts.
„Retail sales fell by 0.5% in February. The substantial slowdown compared to the prior month is partially attributed to the unfavorable trading day comparison – 2024 was a leap year, resulting in a larger base. The commentary from the Central Statistical Office suggests that sales of cars and consumer electronics and household appliances continued to perform well, indicating a positive outlook for the upcoming months,” assessed the Polish Economic Institute.
Furthermore, it was added that the consumption forecast for 2025 „remains relatively optimistic”. „The growth rate of wages is expected to surpass inflation by roughly 4 percentage points. Given the reduced necessity to replenish savings compared to last year, consumption is projected to rise by about 3.5%. This outcome will be akin to other nations within the Central and Eastern European region,” was stated in a commentary on X.
