New figures from the Central Statistics Office show that retail sales fell 0.6% on a monthly basis in May, while they moved 1.6% higher on an annual basis.
The CSO said the sectors with the biggest monthly volume decreases were Department Stores, which fell by 3.7%, while sales of Food, Beverages & Tobacco (in Specialised Stores) were down 2.2%.
Sales of Hardware, Paints & Glass also slowed by 1.5%, sales of Electrical Goods dipped by 1.3% and Books, Newspapers & Stationery sales were down 1%.
The largest monthly volume increases were recorded in Other Retail Sales, which rose by 3%, while Fuel sales were up 2.2% and Bars sales increased by 1.2%.
Meanwhile, the largest annual volume growth was recorded in Furniture & Lighting, with sales jumping by 10%, while Hardware, Paints & Glass sales rose by 5.4%, Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles sales were up 4.2%, Motor Trades increased by 3.9%, and Other Retail Sales grew by 3.9%.
The highest annual volume declines in May were seen in Bars, with sales dropping by 6.8%, while sales in Department Stores were down 4.2%, and Electrical Goods sales slowed by 2.7%.
Today’s CSO figures also show that the value of retail sales was 0.7% lower in May than in April and was up by 1.7% when compared with May last year.
The proportion of Retail Sales transacted online, from Irish registered companies, stood at 4.7% in May, down from 5% in April and with 4.8% in May 2024.
