Fashion pulse: Finland - August 2026

Consumer prices (August)

Clothing and footwear prices in Finland fell 1.4 percent year-on-year in August 2026 on the national consumer price index (CPI), according to Statistics Finland, after a 1.6 percent decline in July. Headline consumer price inflation edged up to 2.2 percent from 2.1 percent, so clothing and footwear prices ran 3.6 percentage points below the headline rate. On the month, clothing and footwear prices rose 1.7 percent, while overall consumer prices fell 0.2 percent.

Clothing prices fell 1.6 percent YoY and footwear prices 0.5 percent, according to Statistics Finland. Prices of garments for men and boys fell 3.1 percent and of garments for women and girls 0.3 percent, while footwear for women rose 1.2 percent. On the harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP), headline inflation was 2.4 percent and clothing and footwear prices fell 1.4 percent.

Retail sales (August, preliminary)

Sales volume in the category "retail sale of other goods in specialised stores" (NACE 47.7), a group that includes clothing and footwear stores alongside pharmacies, cosmetics and other specialist retailers, rose 5.5 percent YoY in August, working-day adjusted, according to preliminary Statistics Finland data. In July, the group's sales volume had risen 7.1 percent. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the group's volume fell 0.5 percent from July.

Total retail sales volume rose 3.7 percent YoY in August, working-day adjusted, and 0.8 percent from July on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to preliminary Statistics Finland data. Sales volume of retail trade not in stores, which includes online and mail order, rose 9.0 percent YoY.

Consumer sentiment (August)

Statistics Finland's consumer confidence indicator rose to minus 3.0 in August from minus 5.3 in July, compared with minus 7.6 in August 2025. The balance for planned spending on durable goods, comparing the coming 12 months with the past 12 months, improved to minus 17.8 from minus 22.4.

Monetary policy and currency (August)

The European Central Bank's deposit facility rate remained at 2.25 percent throughout August, a month without a monetary policy meeting. The euro averaged 1.1593 dollars in August, up from 1.1417 dollars in July, according to the ECB, a 1.5 percent rise in the value of the euro. Compared with August 2025, when it averaged 1.1631 dollars, the euro was 0.3 percent weaker against the dollar.

The bottom line

Finnish clothing and footwear prices fell 1.4 percent YoY in August, 3.6 percentage points below national CPI inflation of 2.2 percent. Preliminary Statistics Finland data show sales volume in other specialised stores (NACE 47.7), which include clothing retailers, up 5.5 percent YoY and total retail volume up 3.7 percent. Consumer confidence improved to minus 3.0.

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.