# Dutch retail sales rise 2.7% on a year earlier

> Shops took 2.7% more in September 2026 than a year earlier, led by non-food and online sales, while food retailers saw turnover fall, Statistics Netherlands reports.

Economy · published 2026-11-02 05:52 · https://nlnow.nl/a/dutch-retail-sales-rise-2-7-on-a-year-earlier/

Dutch shops took 2.7% more in September 2026 than a year earlier, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports. The volume sold, the quantity rather than the money taken, rose 1.8%.

Non-food stores, including their online sales, took 4.6% more. Almost every type of non-food store sold more than a year earlier. Recreation goods stores grew most, with turnover up almost 8%, followed by drugstores at 6.4%. Consumer electronics and white goods rose 4.0%, and clothing 1.1%. Only furniture and home furnishings took less than in September 2025, down 0.3%.

Food retailers went the other way. Their turnover fell 0.5%, CBS says. Supermarkets took 1.0% less, while specialist food shops took 3.1% more.

Online sales were 4.5% higher. Web shops, whose main business is selling over the internet, saw turnover rise 5.0%. Shops that also sell online alongside their main business (multichannel retailers) saw online sales rise 3.7%. Online electronics sales were up 7.2%.

Growth was slower than in August 2026, when retail turnover rose 3.8% and online sales rose 6.7%.

**Recreation goods and drugstores grew most; furniture and supermarkets fell** (% change on September 2025; source: CBS)

- Recreation goods: 7.9
- Drugstores: 6.4
- Consumer electronics and white goods: 4
- Shoes and leather goods: 3.9
- DIY, kitchens and flooring: 3.3
- Specialist food shops: 3.1
- Clothing: 1.1
- Furniture and home furnishings: -0.3
- Supermarkets: -1

## Background

- **CBS (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek)**: Statistics Netherlands, the independent government body that produces the official statistics on the Dutch economy and society.

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