Irish retail sales figures dip for third month in a row – CSO

The volume of retail sales in Ireland fell for the third month in a row, the latest Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures show.

Provisional figures indicate that the total volume of retail sales fell by 1.6% in July compared with the previous month, and fell by 8.1% compared with last July.

This represents the third month in a row that there was a fall in the volume of retail sales compared with the previous month and also compared with the previous 12 months: with a 7.3% decrease recorded by the CSO compared with the previous June and a 3.4% dip compared with sales volumes in May 2021.

There has also been a slight dip in the value of sales during July and June when compared with the previous month (minus 0.1% in both cases) and the previous year, with a fall of 0.4% and 1% respectively compared with the same months last year.

The largest monthly sales volume decreases were in books, newspapers and stationery, which fell by 27.2%, pharmaceuticals, medical and cosmetic goods, which fell by 6.8%, and car sales, which fell by 4.9%.

Bars recorded the largest monthly volume increase between June and July 2022, increasing by 23%.

There was a 56.8% increase in bar sales in the year to July – reflecting some of the pandemic restrictions that remained in place last summer.

The CSO figures show that the only sectors with an annual increase in the volume of sales, apart from bars, were clothing and footwear, up 4.3%; department stores, up by 4.2%; and furniture and lighting, up by 1.1%.

Stephanie Kelleher, statistician in the CSO’s business division, said: “The sectors which showed the largest annual reductions in volume were other retail sales (minus 21.5%), motor trades (minus 16.2%), food, beverages and tobacco (specialised stores) (minus 10.9%), and fuel (minus 7.5%).”

The volume of retail sales in July was at the same level as February 2020, or pre-pandemic levels.

Ms Kelleher continued: “Compared with February 2020 (29 months earlier and pre-Covid-19), the volume of all retail sales in July 2022 was unchanged.

“The largest increases in the volume of retail sales in July 2022 since pre-Covid-19 were in clothing and footwear (plus 21.5%), pharmaceuticals, medical and cosmetic articles (plus 19.7%), and hardware, paints and glass (plus 12.7%).

“The largest volume decreases during the same period occurred in books, newspapers and stationery (minus 42.2%), other retail sales (minus 12.1%), fuel (minus 10.2%), and bars (minus 8.4%).”