Wednesday, 13 May 2026
Consumer demand in the Czech Republic continued to improve in March, supported by stronger household spending, growing online sales and rising visitor numbers across the country.
According to newly released figures from the Czech Statistical Office, retail turnover excluding motor vehicle sales increased by 4.9 percent year-on-year in March, accelerating from the revised February result. Compared with the previous month, sales were also higher, indicating that domestic consumption remained resilient during the first quarter of the year.
The strongest contribution came from non-food retail categories and internet-based sales, while food retailers also recorded solid growth. E-commerce continued to outperform traditional retail segments, reflecting changing purchasing habits and sustained consumer demand.
Among specialist retailers, cosmetics, healthcare-related products and leisure goods posted some of the strongest annual increases. Clothing and footwear retailers were among the few segments to record a slight decline.
The automotive market showed a more moderate performance. Sales and repair activity for motor vehicles remained broadly stable on a monthly basis, although annual figures still pointed to modest growth.
The latest retail data aligns with wider improvements across the Czech service economy. Revenue generated by service businesses rose during the first quarter of 2026, with professional and technical sectors among the main drivers of expansion. Advisory services, legal activities and engineering-related businesses all reported stronger demand compared with the same period last year.
Hospitality and catering operators also benefited from improving consumer activity, although accommodation providers experienced a softer performance than restaurants and food-service businesses.
Tourism figures released alongside the retail data pointed to continued momentum in the travel sector. More than 4 million guests stayed in Czech accommodation facilities during the first quarter, marking another year-on-year increase in both domestic and international tourism activity.
Prague remained the country’s leading destination, attracting the highest number of visitors and overnight stays. Regional tourism also expanded, with several areas outside the capital reporting particularly strong growth rates.
Germany continued to represent the largest source of international visitors, followed by neighbouring Central European markets including Poland and Slovakia. Visitor numbers from the UK remained slightly below last year’s level, while arrivals from Southern Europe and North America continued to contribute to overall tourism growth.
The figures suggest that household consumption and tourism remain important pillars supporting the Czech economy in 2026, despite continued uncertainty surrounding the broader European economic environment.
