Retail trade data in July shows a notable uptick, with sales up 7.7% year over year compared with July 2022. The pace accelerates by eight‑tenths from the previous month, according to the National Statistics Institute. Sustained momentum has persisted for eight straight months when July figures are chained, signaling ongoing consumer demand across the sector.
Within the overall totals, food product sales rose 2.8% from the prior July, while sales of other goods climbed 17.8%. Personal goods increased from 14.2% to 16.9%, supported by gains in home equipment and other household items. These shifts indicate broad growth across product categories rather than a focus on a single segment.
On a distribution basis, the largest year‑over‑year gain occurred in large chain outlets at +14%, followed by small chains at +12.3%, department stores at +5.8%, and single‑location businesses at +4.6%.
Excluding seasonal and calendar effects, retail invoices rose 7.3% in July, slightly higher than June by eight‑tenths of a percentage point, underscoring a continuing upward trend in consumer purchases.
Sales rose 0.2% month over month in July
From July to June, seasonally adjusted retail sales edged up 0.2%, a pace that is 0.1 percentage point slower than June. Yet the longer‑term trajectory remains positive, with five consecutive months of rising year‑over‑year sales.
Looking by product line, food sales increased 0.3% in July versus the prior month, while other categories rose 1%. Household goods climbed 1.5% and personal items gained 0.9%. Sales of other goods held steady with no change.
Nearly all business formats posted higher monthly sales in July, except for single‑location firms, which declined 0.5% in distribution. The standout performers were large chains with a 1.7% month‑over‑month rise, followed by small chains at 0.6% and large‑format stores at 0.1%.
Employment growth slowed to 1.9%
In terms of employment, the sector experienced a 1.9% year‑over‑year increase in July, a pace that is 0.3 percentage points lower than in June. Within retail trade, a steady year‑over‑year rise persisted for 27 consecutive months, signaling ongoing hiring momentum despite softer monthly growth.
Among formats, small chains led the annual employment gains at +6.2%, followed by large chains at +1.1%, single‑location firms at +0.2%, and department stores at +0.1%.
Month over month, employment rose by 1.1%, driven mainly by service stations at +2.3%, department stores at +2%, and large chains at +1.4%.
Sales rise across all regions
July saw retail sales increase year over year in every autonomous community, signaling broad regional strength in consumer spending.
The largest regional gains were in Madrid at +12%, the Balearic Islands at +10.2%, and the Valencian Community at +8.9%. Moderate gains appeared in Extremadura at +2.5%, Castile and León at +2.8%, Navarra at +3.5%, and the Basque Country at +3.6%.
In terms of employment by region, thirteen communities reported year‑over‑year gains, with Catalonia at +4.9% and the Balearic Islands at +3.7% leading the way.
On the downside, four regions posted declines in retail employment compared with July 2022: Asturias at −1.1%, Navarra at −1%, La Rioja at −0.9%, and Murcia at −0.3%. The autonomous city of Ceuta also registered a slight employment decrease of −0.3%.
Attribution: National Statistics Institute. Data reflect sectorwide performance and regional variations across the year.