Cumulative Turnover in Retail Trade Better than in 2024, but Recent Development Remained Flat

The domestic economy continued to develop modestly. According to the WIFO Flash Estimate, economic output in the third quarter of 2025 increased by 0.1 percent in volume terms compared with the previous quarter (seasonally and working day adjusted). Consumer demand from private households was sluggish, but gained momentum in September and early October.

According to Statistics Austria's flash estimate, inflation stood at 4.0 percent in October 2025 (September also 4.0 percent). Once again, the services sector had the strongest impact on inflation.

Turnover in retail trade (excluding motor vehicles) was sluggish in September 2025 after adjustment for calendar effects (+2.3 percent in nominal terms, –0.1 percent in volume terms year-on-year, preliminary figures). Cumulatively, growth in the first nine months of the year was +3.3 percent in nominal terms and +1.5 percent in volume terms compared with the same period in 2024. Although the sentiment among Austrian retailers was significantly better in October 2025 than a year ago, the balance deteriorated compared with September 2025. While the current situation was assessed somewhat more pessimistically, expectations for the coming months improved. Austrian consumer confidence has recently clouded over again somewhat and, despite a slight increase, was more than 3½ points below the interim high of August 2025 in October.

The recent strong number of new registrations shows an increase in car purchases and points to a robust expansion in the consumption of durable goods. Overall, private demand for consumer spending will increase by 0.6 percent in price-adjusted terms this year, although rising unemployment and restrictive fiscal policy will have a dampening effect.

On the labour market, the number of unfilled vacancies fell again in October (total economy –12.8 percent, retail trade –13.3 percent). In October, 9,660 vacancies in retail trade (including motor vehicles, according to NACE 2025) could not be filled in the short term, compared with 76,289 in the economy as a whole.

The number of corporate insolvencies rose again in the third quarter of 2025. A total of 990 insolvencies were opened (according to KSV1870), 2.5 percent more than in the previous year. There has been no sign of relief in the trade sector so far, with an increase of 13.1 percent recorded in the third quarter. Almost one in five insolvencies was recorded in the trade sector (third quarter: 190 cases).