27th Feb 2026 11:24
(Alliance News) - Retail sales in Ireland rose both annually and monthly in January, provisional data published by the Central Statistics Office showed on Friday.
Retail sales rose 3.0% on-year in January, compared to a 0.1% fall the CSO had reported a month ago for December.
The best annual growth in retail sales was in pharmaceuticals, medical & cosmetic articles, up 7.3%, followed by fuel, up 4.7%, and hardware, paints & glass, which were up 4.6%.
The worst annual declines in January were in foods, beverages & tobacco at specialised stores, which fell 3.4%, followed by furniture & lighting, down 2.2%.
On a monthly basis, Irish retail sales climbed 1.5% in January after a 0.4% fall in December.
The strongest monthly rise was in books, newspapers & stationery, up 13.8%, followed by hardware, paints & glass, up 3.0%, clothing, footwear & textiles which climbed 2.6% and fuel, up 2.0%.
The worst monthly declines in January were motor trades, down 9.6%, followed by pharmaceuticals, medical & cosmetic articles, down 7.0%, and electrical goods, down 2.8%.
By Tom Budszus, Alliance News slot editor
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