April retail sales fall significantly
Retail sales excluding fuel, cars and pub sales have fallen by over 3% on last year, according to CSO figures for April
Print13 June 2012
New CSO retail sales figures for April showed consumers were continuing to cut back on spending. The figures show that sales excluding fuel, cars and pub sales had fallen by over 3% on last year, with hardware, clothing and department store sales particularly badly hit.
Retail Ireland director Stephen Lynam said that these figures were very disappointing, but not surprising. “Figures are down across almost every category, except for electrical goods which may be benefiting from consumers buying new television sets in time for the European championships. The cold weather last month did nothing for sales of hardware, including garden furniture and equipment. The drop in clothing and footwear also indicates people held off on purchasing new summer outfits,” he said.
"The current good spell of weather, together with improved consumer confidence as recorded in the ESRI Consumer Sentiment Index in recent months gives hope for improved sales in the summer. These figures, however, show the continued weakness of the domestic economy and the urgent need to help the retail sector back into growth.”
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