New figures from the Central Statistics Office show that the volume of retail sales was unchanged in May when compared with April on a seasonally adjusted basis.
The CSO said that on an annual basis, retail volumes were 0.8% higher than in May of last year. This marked the fastest annual growth rate since February.
The CSO noted that the fuel sector saw a 2% monthly value decrease in May, but was up by 7% when compared with May last year, while in volume terms, fuel fell by 0.1% in the month and by 4.6% in the year.
The continued divergence of value and volume reflects the inflation currently being experienced in the fuel sector, the CSO explained.
Today’s CSO figures show the sectors showing monthly volume increases included furniture and lighting, with sales up by 2.1%, while motor trades were up 1.8% and other retail sales (which includes the likes of carpets, music, toys, flowers, seeds, pet food, jewellery and household fuels) increased by 1.5%.
The largest monthly volume decreases were recorded in food, beverages and tobacco (in specialised stores), which fell by 4.5%, while sales of pharmaceuticals, medical and cosmetic articles were down 1.9% and bars sales decreased by 0.9%.
The CSO said that on an annual basis, the highest volume growth in May was recorded in sales of pharmaceuticals, medical and cosmetic articles, which jumped by 4.5%, while other retail sales rose by 4.3% and electrical goods sales were up 3.1%.
Sectors showing the largest annual volume declines were clothing, footwear and textiles, with sales sinking by 7.5%, while furniture and lighting sales fell by 5.1% and fuel sales were down 4.6%.
