Bulgaria Retail Sales Growth at 11-Month High

Retail sales in Bulgaria rose by 7.7% year-on-year in December 2025, following a 3.1% gain in the previous month. This marked the sharpest rise in retail activity in eleven months, as sales increased sharply in automotive fuel and lubricants (11.8% vs 10.3%) and non-food products excluding fuel (15.7% vs 5.9% in November), particularly in non-specialized stores (16.4% vs 8.9%), textiles, clothing, footwear, and leather (8.6% vs 5.1%), household appliances, furniture, and other household goods (29.3% vs 15.3%), audio, video, computer, and communication equipment (16.3% vs 14.7%). Meanwhile, activity declined further in food, beverages, and tobacco (-4.6% vs -2%). On a monthly basis, retail sales grew by 1.6% in December, following an upwardly revised 0.2% growth in the preceding period.