German IT and telecom retail sales index, nominal, adjusted
German IT and telecom retail sales index, nominal, adjusted stood at 112.7 in Aug 2026, according to Deutsche Bundesbank. It is one of the indicators in the Retail sales table (Value · Monthly), with a complete series running from Jan 1994 to Aug 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Retail sales table
| Indicator | 08-2026 | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | 11-2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current prices, 47 Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 121.9 | 119.9 | 121.6 | 121.9 | 120.8 | 120.9 | 120.2 | 120.5 | 119.8 | 119.4 | |
| Current prices, 47.4 Retail sale of information and communications equipment in specialised stores | 112.7 | 109.7 | 114.4 | 117.8 | 120.2 | 110.8 | 109.3 | 106.8 | 109.2 | 108.6 | |
| Current prices, 47.5 Retail sale of other household equipment in specialised stores | 99.8 | 99.6 | 99.9 | 100.3 | 100.8 | 101.5 | 100.2 | 99 | 101.6 | 101.3 |
Understanding german IT and telecom retail sales index, nominal, adjusted
Cash registers at specialized technology vendors, mobile phone shops, and computer hardware retailers supply the raw inputs for this metric. The series tracks nominal turnover for vendors focusing primarily on information and communication equipment, rather than general department stores that happen to sell a few laptops. It encompasses telecommunications gear, computing peripherals, and consumer electronics without factoring out technological price adjustments or markups. This boundary ensures the data strictly reflects the specialized tech retail environment rather than general household goods.
Seasonal adjustments are particularly relevant here, removing the massive distortions historically caused by winter holiday gifting and late-year product launch cycles. Month-on-month comparisons of the adjusted index give analysts the purest read on the underlying tech cycle and consumer upgrade habits. Frequent product iterations and rapid technological obsolescence mean nominal values can mask actual volume variations; consumers might buy the same number of devices but opt for different price tiers. Revisions frequently occur in the months following the initial release as smaller independent tech franchises finalize their accounting.
Frequently asked questions
- Are sales from a general electronics mega-store included here?
- If the store specializes heavily in information and communication tech, it fits this category, but broad appliance and household equipment vendors are recorded elsewhere.
- Does this series adjust for the rapidly changing quality of tech products?
- No, it is a simple nominal index based on till receipts, so it does not account for the hedonic adjustments or quality changes seen in real-terms indices.
- Do monthly mobile phone service contracts count towards this retail turnover?
- The series strictly measures the retail sale of physical hardware and equipment; service contracts and data plans fall under telecommunications services rather than retail trade.