Provisional figures from the Central Statistics Office show that retail sales volumes grew by 2.2% in the 12 months to July, up from annual growth of 0.9% the previous month.
The CSO said the volume of retail sales increased by 1.3% in July compared to June.
Excluding car sales, the CSO said the monthly volume of retail sales was up by 0.8% and grew by 2.2% in the year when compared with July 2025.
Today’s figures show the sectors with the biggest monthly volume increases were motor trades, which car sales jumping by 8.5%, while fuel sales rose by 7%, and pharmaceuticals, medical and cosmetic articles were up 3.4%.
Monthly volume decreases were seen in Department Stores, with sales there falling by 1.3%, while sales of books, newspapers and stationery eased by 0.3%.
Meanwhile, the highest annual volume growth in July was recorded in the pharmaceuticals, medical and cosmetic srticles sector with sales rising by 6.9%, while sales of books, newspapers and stationery were up 4.3%. Sales of hardware, paints and glass were up 4.2%, and bars sales rose by 4.1%.
Annual volume declines were recorded in furniture and lighting, with sales in the sector down 5%, while clothing, footwear and textiles sales slowed by 2%, and Department Stores sales were down 1.6%.
The CSO also said the value of retail sales was 1.4% higher in July than in June 2026 and was up by 4.6% when compared with July of last year.
Excluding car sales, the value of retail sales rose by 0.9% in the month and by 5% on an annual basis.
