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Compared to January, retail sales edged up by 0.4% based on seasonally and calendar-adjusted data.
Growth was broad-based across major retail segments. Sales volumes in food retailing increased by 2.2% year on year, with non-specialized food and beverage stores — which account for the bulk of the segment — posting a 4.1% rise. However, specialized food, beverage and tobacco shops saw sales fall by 4.3%.
Non-food retailing recorded stronger growth, with volumes up 5.0%. Within the segment, second-hand goods stores saw the biggest increase, at 9.6%, followed by textiles, clothing and footwear shops, which rose by 7.8%. Sales also grew in non-specialized stores selling manufactured goods, as well as in books, computer equipment and other specialized outlets. More moderate increases were recorded in pharmaceutical, medical and cosmetics stores, along with furniture and electrical goods retailers.
Online and mail-order retailing continued to expand, with sales volumes up 8.9%, accounting for 9.1% of total retail turnover.
Fuel sales also contributed to overall growth, with volumes at automotive fuel stations rising by 6.4% compared to February 2025.
In nominal terms, domestic retail sales reached HUF 1,484 billion in February. Food retailing accounted for 49% of total turnover, followed by non-food retail at 36% and fuel sales at 14%, KSH said.
For the first two months of 2026, retail sales volumes increased by 3.6% compared to the same period a year earlier. Growth reached 1.7% in food retailing, 4.9% in non-food retail and 6.1% in fuel sales, indicating continued recovery in household consumption.
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