Shoppers spent more in November than October, even when the impact of Christmas shopping is factored out.

Data released yesterday by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) shows that on a seasonally adjusted basis - excluding the impact of Christmas purchases - annual sales volumes in November were 1.4 per cent higher than October and 3.9 per cent higher than in November 2004.

But the November annual growth rate compares with equivalent rates of 4.5 per cent and 5.1 per cent for October and September, respectively, suggesting that the momentum of retail sales activity slowed towards the end of last year.

Sales volumes rose strongly for textiles and clothing (14.1 per cent), footwear and leather (13 per cent), and pharmaceutical and cosmetic products (6.7 per cent).

Growth remained modest for other categories and was strongly negative for electrical goods, where sales volumes were down 8.5 per cent on the previous year.

Retail sales activity in Ireland remains amongst the strongest in the EU. October - the latest month for which data is available across the EU - saw retail sales volumes grow by just 0.2 per cent due to poor consumer sentiment in France and Germany, but very strongly across most of the EU's new member states.