Retail sales dipped 0.1 per cent in October, although volumes for the proceeding 12 months were up 0.9 per cent.
Figures from the Central Statistics Office showed when the motor trade was excluded the volume of sales fell further, to 0.2 per cent month-on-month and static when compared to October 2023.
The largest volume decreases during the month were seen in electrical goods, which fell 1.4 per cent compared to September, while furniture and lighting declined 1.1 per cent. The motor trade was down 0.9 per cent, while department stores were down 0.8 per cent.
That was offset by a rise in the sales of books, newspapers and stationery, which rose more than 5 per cent compared to September, and fuel, which was up almost 2 per cent.
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Books and newspapers also showed a significant annual rise, increasing by 17.1 per cent, with clothing, footwear and textiles up 11 per cent compared to 2023. Bar sales were lower, however, falling 7.4 per cent, while electrical goods were down 5 per cent. Sales in supermarkets and other non-specialised stores were down 3.2 per cent.
Online sales fell slightly, with the proportion of retail sales transacted online, from Irish registered companies, falling from 5.1 per cent in September 2024 and October 2023 to 4.8 per cent in 2024. Excluding motor trades, that rose to 6.5 per cent in October 2024, compared to 6.8 per cent in September 2024, compared with 6.5 per cent in October 2023.
“The value of retail sales was 0.1 per cent lower in October 2024 than in September 2024 and was up by 0.1 per cent when compared with October 2023,” said Tommy Allen, statistician in the enterprise statistics division. “Excluding motor trades, the value of retail sales fell by 0.1 per cent in the month and increased by 0.1 per cent on an annual basis.”
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