The Central Statistics Office (CSO) reports a slight increase in retail sales during July, by 0.1% in volume compared to the preceding month and a 0.4% increase compared to the same month in 2023. However, sales in pubs continued to drop significantly. When motor sales are deducted, the reported growth is around 0.2% for both monthly and annual figures. Furthermore, retail sales’ value also saw a 0.2% increase in July and experienced a year-on-year growth of 1.2%.
The clothing, footwear, and textiles category led the monthly volume increases, recording a sales rise of 4.8%. There was also a surge in the sale of pharmaceuticals, medical and cosmetic products by 2.2%, and home furnishings and lighting saw a rise of 2.1%. Additionally, motor trade sales increased by 2%.
However, it was a tough month for bars, which saw a 13.5% decrease in sales. There were also decreases in the sales of books, newspapers and stationery by 5.1% and electronic goods by 2.4%.
Annually, the most significant volume growth was reported in the hardware, paints & glass sectors, where sales escalated by 11.1%. Department store sales also rose by 3% compared to July 2023. The highest annual declines were observed in pubs (16.2%) and the books, newspapers and stationery sector (4.4%).