The value of retail sales rose by 9.6 per cent in February 1999, compared with a year earlier, according to the latest data from the Central Statistics Office. The volume of sales, which excludes price effects, rose by 8.5 per cent over the same time, pointing to continuing very high levels of domestic demand in the economy. But on a three-month basis, which gives a more stable indication of recent trends, the December 1998 to February 1999 figures show a 3.6 per cent increase compared with the three months ending November 1998.