Retail sales in the Czech Republic rose 1.6% year-on-year in April 2026, well below market expectations of 3.6% and slowing sharply from a 6.2% increase in March. This was the weakest growth since December 2023, as sales fell for food, beverages and tobacco (-1.2% vs 5.4% in March), information and communication equipment (-3.7% vs -2.7%), and automotive fuel (-3.1% vs 9.0%). Growth also eased for other retail sales in non-specialised stores (4.9% vs 7.1%), cultural and recreational goods (0.1% vs 1.1%), pharmaceutical and medical goods (6.2% vs 6.8%), and household equipment (1.9% vs 2.0%). Meanwhile, sales of clothing, footwear and leather goods rebounded (3.2% vs -1.9%), while growth in cosmetic and toilet articles accelerated further (9.0% vs 7.1%). On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, retail sales fell 0.9%, reversing a revised 1.6% gain in the previous month.