Nicosia, Cyprus. Greek retail chain Jumbo said sales at its Cyprus stores fell by around 3 per cent year-on-year in April 2026, as Easter timing shifted part of seasonal demand into March and uncertainty in the Middle East affected consumer sentiment. Sales in Cyprus for the first four months of the year were still up by around 2 per cent compared with the same period last year.
Cyprus performance and Easter impact
Jumbo said the April update followed a stronger March, when Cyprus sales rose by 4 per cent both for the month and the first quarter, before management warned that sales momentum was expected to ease after Easter.
Group results and guidance
Across the group, total sales decreased by around 4 per cent year-on-year in April, although sales for the first four months of 2026 remained 4 per cent higher than a year earlier. Jumbo said the performance confirmed its conservative guidance, with macroeconomic uncertainty, geopolitical developments in the Middle East and volatile energy prices continuing to put pressure on costs and consumer behaviour. The group added that the first days of May showed signs of a return to more normal sales trends, in line with its guidance for growth of around 5 per cent.
Greece, Bulgaria and Romania
In Greece, net sales of the parent company, excluding intra-group transactions, fell by around 1.5 per cent in April compared with the same month last year, while sales in the January-to-April period remained 7 per cent higher year-on-year. Bulgaria continued to post growth, with sales, including the e-shop, rising by around 2 per cent in April and by 9 per cent over the first four months of the year. Romania remained the weakest market, with sales, including the e-shop, falling by around 15 per cent in April and by 7 per cent in the four-month period. Jumbo said the Romanian market was showing signs of a slowdown mainly due to inflationary pressures and more restrained consumer spending, adding that recent political uncertainty had also contributed to the weakening of the Romanian leu against the euro.
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