(Alliance News) - Retail sales in Ireland saw a slight dip in October, the Central Statistical Office said Friday.
The volume of retail sales decreased by 0.7% in October when compared to September on a seasonally adjusted basis. On an annual basis, however, sales rose 8.1%.
When motor trades are excluded, the volume of retail sales decreased by 0.2% in October versus the previous month and increased by 9.0% when compared with October 2019.
The largest monthly volume increases were in Other Retail Sales at 10%, Food, Beverages & Tobacco at 7.1%, and Books, Newspapers & Stationery at 5.6%. Sales of Non-Specialised Stores, which include supermarkets, rose by 4.3%, and sales of Electrical Goods rose 3.2%.
The monthly volume of sales fell in Bars, dropping by 52%. Fuel sales fell by 18%, Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles by 7.6%, Clothing, Footwear & Textiles by 7.5%, and Motor Trades by 6.6%. Department Stores sales fell by 4.2%, Furniture & Lighting sales by 4.1% and Hardware, Paints & Glass sales by 1.9%.
The proportion of retail sales transacted online increased to 6.1% in October from 4.5% in September. This is below the high of 15% recorded in April at the height of the first coronavirus lockdown in Ireland, the Central Statistical Office said.
The value of retail sales was 3.2% lower in October from September. The annual change in the value of retail sales was up 4.2%.
Retail sales in October were 11% higher than in February before the crisis started; however, not every sector has fully recovered, the stats office noted.
Bars sales are down 75% on their February level, Fuel by 21%, and Books, Newspapers & Stationery by 9.9%.
By Paul McGowan; paulmcgowan@alliancenews.com
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