German DIY retail starts the year with a slight decline in sales

According to preliminary results from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), the DIY retail sector started the year with a slight decline. In January, retail sales of metal goods, paints and building and DIY supplies were down 0.5 per cent in nominal terms compared with the same month last year; in real terms, sales were 1.0 per cent below the corresponding level of the previous year.

Overall, retail sales in Germany rose by 1.2 per cent in real terms and 2.5 per cent in nominal terms compared with January 2025. In the non-food retail sector, calendar and seasonally adjusted sales in January 2026 grew by 0.4 per cent in real terms and 0.8 per cent in nominal terms compared with the same month last year.

The garden and pet retail also recorded a decline in sales at the beginning of the year. According to the Federal Statistical Office, retail sales of flowers, plants, seeds…