Fashion pulse: Denmark - August 2026

Consumer prices (August)

Danish consumer price inflation rose to 2.0 percent year-on-year in August 2026 from 1.7 percent in July, according to Statistics Denmark (DST). Clothing and footwear prices rose 1.1 percent YoY, up from 0.9 percent in July, and remained below headline inflation. On a month-on-month basis, clothing and footwear prices rose 1.2 percent, after a 4.6 percent fall in July.

Within the basket, clothing prices rose 1.4 percent and footwear prices 0.3 percent, according to DST. Menswear rose 1.9 percent, womenswear 1.1 percent and infantswear 4.2 percent, while clothing accessories fell 2.1 percent. Footwear prices rose 0.5 percent for men and 1.5 percent for children, while women's footwear fell 0.3 percent.

Retail sales (August, preliminary)

Sales volume at retailers of clothing, footwear and jewellery rose 7.8 percent YoY in August, according to preliminary DST data, after 12.0 percent in July. In nominal value terms, sales rose 8.8 percent. On a seasonally adjusted basis, sales volume was broadly unchanged from July, down 0.1 percent.

Total retail sales volume rose 3.7 percent YoY in August, according to preliminary DST data. In DST's retail tendency survey, the sales balance for clothing, footwear and jewellery retailers over the past three months fell to plus 11 in August from plus 22 in July. The balance for expected sales over the next three months rose to plus 12 from plus 5.

Macro context (August)

DST's consumer confidence indicator improved to minus 13.1 in August from minus 14.7 in July and minus 17.2 in August 2025. Households' assessment of their own financial situation over the next 12 months turned positive at plus 0.4, from minus 3.5 in July. Registered unemployment held at 3.1 percent of the labour force in August, seasonally adjusted, according to DST.

Monetary policy and currency (August)

Danmarks Nationalbank left its current-account rate unchanged at 1.85 percent in August. The krone, pegged to the euro, averaged 7.4755 kroner per euro, while the euro strengthened 1.54 percent against the dollar to a monthly mean of 1.1593 dollars from 1.1417 dollars in July, according to the European Central Bank (ECB). Compared with August 2025, the euro was 0.33 percent weaker, a marginal change in the krone cost of dollar-invoiced goods.

The bottom line

Danish clothing and footwear prices rose 1.1 percent YoY in August, below headline inflation of 2.0 percent. Preliminary DST data show sales volume at clothing, footwear and jewellery retailers up 7.8 percent YoY, while total retail volume rose 3.7 percent. Consumer confidence improved to minus 13.1.

Note: this article combines the most recent official data available at the time of writing. Reporting lags differ by indicator and country, so not all figures refer to the same month. Each data point is labelled with its reference period.