Berlin: German retail sales fell sharply in July, driven partly by a steep decline at petrol stations following the expiration of a fuel discount, official data showed Tuesday. Retail sales decreased 3.4% from June, according to provisional figures from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). According to Anadolu Agency, markets had anticipated a monthly rise of 0.4% in July. However, petrol station sales plunged 9.1% after a fuel discount in effect during May and June expired. Compared with July 2025, petrol station sales dropped 9.3%. Weakness was also evident in the non-food retail sector, where sales fell 4.8% from the previous month. Online and mail-order sales declined 5.6% month-on-month and 0.8% from a year earlier. Real sales of food products decreased more moderately, falling 0.8% from June and 0.3% compared with July 2025. Overall retail sales were 2.5% lower than a year earlier. Destatis revised the real monthly change for June to 0% from a previously reported decline of 0.7%.