Irish retail sales return to both annual and monthly growth in January

Retail sales in Ireland rose both annually and monthly in January, provisional data published by the Central Statistics Office showed on Friday.

Retail sales rose 3.0% on-year in January, compared to a 0.1% fall the CSO had reported a month ago for December.

The best annual growth in retail sales was in pharmaceuticals, medical & cosmetic articles, up 7.3%, followed by fuel, up 4.7%, and hardware, paints & glass, which were up 4.6%.

The worst annual declines in January were in foods, beverages & tobacco at specialised stores, which fell 3.4%, followed by furniture & lighting, down 2.2%.

On a monthly basis, Irish retail sales climbed 1.5% in January after a 0.4% fall in December.

The strongest monthly rise was in books, newspapers & stationery, up 13.8%, followed by hardware, paints & glass, up 3.0%, clothing, footwear & textiles which climbed 2.6% and fuel, up 2.0%.

The worst monthly declines in January were motor trades, down 9.6%, followed by pharmaceuticals, medical & cosmetic articles, down 7.0%, and electrical goods, down 2.8%.

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