Retail sales recovered in February with 13.9% increase

The volume of retail sales recovered somewhat in February, increasing 13.9 per cent following a decline of 21.8 per cent in January, the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office show.

On an annual basis, retail volumes were 3.2 per cent lower in February compared with February 2020. When motor trades are excluded, the volume of retail sales increased by 2.5 per cent in February over the previous month and decreased by 3.9 per cent when compared with February 2020.

In February the volume of retail sales increased in 10 business groups. The largest monthly increases were in hardware, paints and glass (+25.5 per cent), furniture and lighting (+23.6 per cent) and electrical goods (+23.2 per cent).

The volume of sales also increased in clothing, footwear and textiles (+11.1 per cent), pharmaceuticals, medical and cosmetic articles (+10.9 per cent), motor trades (+9.1 per cent), and fuel (+4.2 per cent).

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Elsewhere there were increases for food, beverages and tobacco (specialised stores) (+2.4 per cent), other retail sales (+1.7 per cent) and books, newspapers and stationery (+1.4 per cent).

The volume of sales fell in bars (-12.8 per cent), department stores (-1.8 per cent) and non-specialised stores (including supermarkets) (-0.3 per cent).

The proportion of retail sales transacted online (from Irish registered companies) increased to 13 per cent in February from 11 per cent in January. This was the highest proportion of retail sales transacted online since May 2020 (13.2 per cent).

Compared with February 2020, the volume of retail sales was lower in bars (-91.3 per cent), clothing, footwear and textiles (-63.6 per cent), books, newspapers and stationery (-55 per cent), and department stores (-45.2 per cent).

It was also lower in fuel (-20.4 per cent), furniture and lighting (-17 per cent) and motor trades (-6.8 per cent).

The volume of retail sales was higher in February compared to the same period of last year in electrical goods (+33.5 per cent), hardware, paints and glass (+25.6 per cent), and food, beverages and tobacco (+24 per cent).

Elsewhere, it was higher in other retail sales (+16.8 per cent), non-specialised stores (+11.2 per cent) and pharmaceuticals, medical and cosmetic articles (+3.8 per cent).

The value of retail sales was 12.6 per cent higher in February than in January 2021.

On an annual basis the value of retail sales was 5.9 per cent lower than February 2021. Excluding motor trades, the value of retail sales increased by 2.7 per cent in the month and fell by 8.4 per cent on an annual basis.