Italy’s retail sales dropped 0.5% month-on-month in September 2025, following a revised 0.2% fall in the previous month and defying market expectations of a 0.1% increase. Sales for both food (-0.4% vs 0% in August) and non-food products (-0.5% vs -0.2%) declined. On an annual basis, retail trade grew 0.5%, easing slightly from a revised 0.6% rise in August, as growth in food sales slowed (1.5% vs 1.7%) and non-food sales decreased further (-0.4% vs -0.1%). Among non-food items, the largest gain was seen in perfumery and personal care products (+4.0%), while the sharpest declines were observed in footwear, leather goods, and travel goods (-5.7%) and clothing and furs (-5.2%).