Study on European retail in 2024 and 2025

The year 2024 was marked by contrasts across Europe, including the retail sector. While some economies showed signs of recovery from past crises, others remained stagnant or even contracted.

Purchasing power

In 2024, purchasing power across Europe continued to grow, albeit at a noticeably slower pace than in the two previous years. The average per capita purchasing power in the EU reached 21,008 euros, representing a nominal increase of 3.0 percent compared to revised 2023 figures. In total, residents of the 27 member states had approximately 9.5 trillion euros at their disposal for expenses.

Retail turnover

The strongest gains of retail turnover were recorded in Eastern Europe, led by Romania (+14.9 percent). In contrast, Estonia saw a 1.3 percent decline, largely due to political uncertainty and rising consumer skepticism.

Retail share of private consumption

The share of consumer spending in the EU that goes to retail has been steadily declining for three years. Among all EU member states, Croatia leads with a retail share of 48.0 percent. Germany ranks last, with only about one in four euros of consumer spending going to retail.

Inflation

After sharp price increases in recent years, inflation across the EU showed further signs of stabilization in 2024, averaging 2.6 percent. The highest rate was recorded in Romania (5.8 percent), followed by Belgium (4.3 percent) and Hungary (4.0 percent). At the other end of the spectrum, Lithuania reported the lowest inflation, at just 0.9 percent. The 2025 forecast for the EU is 2.3 percent.

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Source: https://nielseniq.com/global/en/insights/report/2025/european-retail-in-2024-and-2025/