In April 2026, the volume of Retail Sales decreased by 0.2% in the month and by 0.5% in the 12 months from April 2025.
Excluding Motor Trades, the monthly volume of Retail Sales was down by 0.6% in April 2026 and grew by 0.4% in the year when compared with April 2025.
The value of Retail Sales for All Businesses fell by 0.4% in the month and rose by 1.0% in the 12 months to April 2026.
The value of Retail Sales for Fuel decreased by 0.5% since March 2026, however, April 2026 saw an increase of 10.6% in the year when compared with April 2025 (See Statistician’s Comment below).
Sectors showing the highest monthly volume decreases were Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (-2.9%), Fuel (-2.3%), Department Stores (-2.0%), and Electrical Goods (-2.0%).
Monthly volume increases were recorded in Books, Newspapers & Stationery (+4.6%), Food, Beverages & Tobacco (Specialised Stores) (+3.9%), Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles (+3.6%), and Bars (+1.8%).
In April 2026, the largest annual volume declines were recorded in Furniture & Lighting (-10.3%), Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (-7.2%), Department Stores (-4.5%), and Fuel (-2.6%).
Sectors showing the highest annual volume growth were Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles (+10.5%), Other Retail Sales (+3.8%), and Electrical Goods (+2.2%).
Please note that there will be a revision to all Retail Sales volume indices in the coming months which will be communicated in advance of implementation. This is due to a new classification scheme recently adopted in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Please see CPI methodology page for more information.
Figure 1 and Table 1 show the seasonally adjusted volume of Retail Sales indices for All Businesses and All Businesses excluding Motor Trades. Table 1 also highlights monthly and annual percentage changes in terms of both value and volume. Value represents turnover or total expenditure whereas volume strips out the impact of price changes to reflect quantity sold.
| Table 1 Seasonally Adjusted Indices of Total Retail Sales for All Businesses and All Businesses (excl. Motor Trades)1 | ||
| Base Year 2021=100 | ||
| Volume Index | Value Index | |
| All Businesses | ||
| April 20262 | 114.9 | 128.7 |
| March 2026 | 115.1 | 129.2 |
| April 2025 | 115.5 | 127.5 |
| % change | ||
| Monthly | -0.2% | -0.4% |
| Annual | -0.5% | 1.0% |
| All Businesses (excl. Motor Trades) | ||
| April 20262 | 113.4 | 127.3 |
| March 2026 | 114.1 | 127.1 |
| April 2025 | 112.9 | 123.3 |
| % change | ||
| Monthly | -0.6% | 0.2% |
| Annual | 0.4% | 3.2% |
| 1Based on Seasonal Patterns up to April 2026. | ||
| 2Provisional value and volume of sales indices based on early returns from sample retailers. | ||
Figure 2a shows the monthly seasonally adjusted volume percentage changes for April 2026 compared with March 2026.
| X-axis label | Monthly percentage change |
|---|---|
| All Businesses | -0.2 |
| Motor Trades | -1.8 |
| Non-Specialised Stores (incl. Supermarkets) | -0.4 |
| Department Stores | -2 |
| Food, Beverages & Tobacco | 3.9 |
| Fuel | -2.3 |
| Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles | 3.6 |
| Clothing, Footwear & Textiles | -2.9 |
| Furniture & Lighting | -1.6 |
| Hardware, Paints & Glass | -0.5 |
| Electrical Goods | -2 |
| Books, Newspapers & Stationery | 4.6 |
| Other Retail Sales | -0.4 |
| Bars | 1.8 |
Figure 2b shows the annual seasonally adjusted volume percentage changes for April 2026 compared with April 2025.
| X-axis label | Annual percentage change |
|---|---|
| All Businesses | -0.5 |
| Motor Trades | -2.3 |
| Non-Specialised Stores (incl. Supermarkets) | -0.1 |
| Department Stores | -4.5 |
| Food, Beverages & Tobacco | 0.4 |
| Fuel | -2.6 |
| Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles | 10.5 |
| Clothing, Footwear & Textiles | -7.2 |
| Furniture & Lighting | -10.3 |
| Hardware, Paints & Glass | -1 |
| Electrical Goods | 2.2 |
| Books, Newspapers & Stationery | 0.7 |
| Other Retail Sales | 3.8 |
| Bars | 0.1 |
Figure 3 shows the percentage of turnover generated by online sales for All Businesses and All Businesses excluding Motor Trades from April 2024 to April 2026.
Learn about our data and confidentiality safeguards, and the steps we take to produce statistics that can be trusted by all.
Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (28 May 2026) published Retail Sales Index April 2026 (Provisional) and March 2026 (Final).
The April 2026 (Provisional) period covers the four weeks from 05/04/26 to 02/05/26, while the March 2026 (Final) period covers the five weeks from 01/03/26 to 04/04/26.
Commenting on the release, Tommy Allen, Statistician in the Enterprise Statistics Division, said: "The volume of Retail Sales decreased by 0.2% in April 2026 when compared with March 2026 on a seasonally adjusted basis. On an annual basis, retail volumes were 0.5% lower than in April 2025.
When Motor Trades are excluded, the volume of Retail Sales fell by 0.6% in the month and rose by 0.4% in the year when compared with April 2025 (See Table 1 and Figure 1).
The Fuel sector experienced a 0.5% monthly value decrease in April 2026 and was up by 10.6% when compared with April 2025. In volume terms, Fuel fell by 2.3% in the month and by 2.6% in the year. Fuel shortages experienced across the country in April 2026, along with reductions in fuel excise duty, likely contributed to the short-term decreases in value and volume, while the annual value increase remains high. The continued divergence of value and volume reflects the inflation currently being experienced in the sector.
Monthly Changes
Sectors showing the highest monthly volume decreases were Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (-2.9%), Fuel (-2.3%), Department Stores (-2.0%), and Electrical Goods (-2.0%).
Monthly volume increases were recorded in Books, Newspapers & Stationery (+4.6%), Food, Beverages & Tobacco (Specialised Stores) (+3.9%), Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles (+3.6%), and Bars (+1.8%) (See Table 2 and Background Notes).
Annual Changes
In April 2026, the largest annual volume declines were recorded in Furniture & Lighting (-10.3%), Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (-7.2%), Department Stores (-4.5%), and Fuel (-2.6%).
Sectors showing the highest annual volume growth were Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles (+10.5%), Other Retail Sales (+3.8%), and Electrical Goods (+2.2%) (See Table 2).
Value of Retail Sales
The value of Retail Sales was 0.4% lower in April 2026 than in March 2026 and was up by 1.0% when compared with April 2025. Excluding Motor Trades, the value of Retail Sales rose by 0.2% in the month and by 3.2% on an annual basis (See Tables 1 & 2)."