CSO: Retail sales grew in January
The Central Statistics Office has published research revealing a significant rise in Ireland's overall retail sales
Print3 March 2017
New figures from the Central Statistics Office reveal a significant rise in retail sales in Ireland. Year-on-year, sales in January were up by 4.9%, while the volume of sales between December 2016 and January 2017 rose by 2.2% – the biggest rise in six months.
Looking more closely at the figures, when car sales are excluded the monthly rise was 1.5%, and year-on-year 6.1%.
Segment-wise, the biggest monthly increase was in electrical goods, which saw a jump of 8.9%. Hardware, paint and glass sectors rose by 5.6%, while department store sales rose by 4.7%
Pharmaceutical and cosmetics sales fell by 2.8%.
While these results may be in contrast with the percieved poor sales during the Christmas shopping season due to the competitive pressure of online stores, it is still encouraging news for the sector.
Commenting on the figures, Thomas Burke, Retail Ireland director, said it is encouraging to see 2017 off to a strong start following the disappointing December trading levels. “Post-holiday sales can sometimes fall flat after Christmas, but it appears the reverse is the case this year,” he said. “What is most encouraging is that all retail categories outperformed the same period in 2016. This should offer hope for the coming months.”
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