Retail sales rise as furniture and hardware sales jump

Retail sales were 2.5 per cent higher in September than for the same month the previous year, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) said on Friday, driven by increases in furniture and hardware sales.

The volume of sales fell 1.2 per cent compared to August. When motor sales were excluded, the volume of sales fell 0.4 per cent in the month and was 1.7 per cent higher year-on-year, according to the latest data. September tends to be a weaker month for the retail sector than August, with a month-on-month drop recorded in seven of the past nine years.

The largest monthly volume decrease was recorded in the pharmaceuticals, medical and cosmetic articles category, where sales fell 6.1 per cent. Fuel sales were down 4.9 per cent, while clothing, footwear and textiles sales dropped 3.9 per cent compared to August as warm weather lingered into the first half of September.

Motor trade volumes dropped 3.1 per cent and the department stores saw sales volumes decline 3.1 per cent.

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The categories that did well during the month include furniture and lighting, with sales rising 4.2 per cent and hardware, paints and glass, where sales volumes were 1.4 per cent higher. Bar sales were 0.6 per cent higher than in August.

On an annual basis, the highest volume growth is again seen in furniture and lighting, with sales up 14.1 per cent year-on-year, while the largest volume decline is in department stores, where sales are down 7.9 per cent. Volumes in the books, newspapers and stationery category have fallen 4.4 per cent year-on-year, while electrical goods are down 3.8 per cent.

The value of retail sales fell 1 per cent in September compared to August and was 5.8 per cent higher compared to September 2022 as elevated levels of inflation continued to be a feature of the consumer economy.

The proportion of retail sales transacted online from Irish registered companies was 5 per cent in September 2023 compared with 4.5 per cent in August 2023 and 5.3 per cent in September 2022, the CSO said.