Mother’s Day and Eid shopping boost retail sales in Türkiye

ISTANBUL

Retail sales and revenue rose in May as Mother’s Day and Eid al-Adha shopping drove consumer spending higher, according to industry data.

United Brands Association (BMD) Chair Sinan Öncel said 84 percent of member brands reported an increase in unit sales in May, while 89 percent recorded higher revenue compared with the previous month.

Among survey participants, 41 percent reported unit sales growth of 21 percent or more, while 54 percent posted revenue increases exceeding 21 percent, he added.

Öncel said data from Türkiye’s central bank showed record monthly transaction volumes and spending in clothing, footwear, health and cosmetics and food services.

Consumers spent 208.1 billion Turkish Liras on clothing and footwear, 196.6 billion liras on dining and 116.5 billion liras on health and cosmetics in May, he detailed.

Compared with April, revenue rose 64 percent in clothing and footwear, 34.9 percent in dining and 23.2 percent in health and cosmetics. Transaction volumes increased 67.2 percent, 27.4 percent and 23.2 percent, respectively.

Despite the stronger performance, Öncel said branded retailers continue to face challenges, particularly rising rental costs.

The share of member brands with rent-to-revenue ratios above 15 percent climbed from 20 percent in 2024 to 56 percent in the first four months of 2026, he said.

Öncel added that 60.75 percent of BMD member brands were involved in legal disputes with property owners as of May 2026.