Hungarian retail sector faces shifting tax landscape and growth trends

The Hungarian retail market is experiencing significant shifts in both consumer behavior and fiscal policy. The online grocery retailer Kifli.hu, part of the Czech Rohlik Group, reported substantial growth in the first nine months of the year. The company completed over 2.7 million orders, a 32 percent increase compared to the same period last year. New customer acquisitions rose by nearly 93 percent, reaching 68,700 first-time orders, while the total number of unique customers increased by 44 percent.

Simultaneously, proposed budget plans for 2027 suggest a change in the special retail tax structure. Under the new progressive tax rates, medium-sized, typically Hungarian-owned food chains—such as COOP, CBA, and Prima—could face higher tax burdens. For companies with a tax base between 1 billion and 50 billion forints, the rate would increase from 0.15 percent to 0.45 percent. This change represents a tripling of the tax rate for that specific bracket, potentially increasing the annual tax burden for a retailer with a 50 billion forint turnover by up to 147 million forints.