In December 2022, the volume of Retail Sales remained unchanged in the month and rose by 0.5% in the year.
Monthly volume increases were recorded in Motor Trades (+4.0%), Other Retail Sales (+2.8%) and Non-Specialised Stores (incl. Supermarkets) (+1.4%).
The largest monthly volume decreases were in Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (-16.8%), Electrical Goods (-7.7%), and Furniture & Lighting (-5.7%).
The largest annual volume increase was in Bars (+54.7%), however caution should be exercised with this level of growth as it is compared with a low base from the previous year. With the arrival of the COVID-19 Omicron variant in December 2021 restrictions were re-introduced, including an 8pm closing time for bars just before Christmas.
Other sectors to show large annual volume increases were Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (+7.7%) and Electrical Goods (+7.2%).
Other Retail Sales (-18.0%), Food, Beverages & Tobacco (Specialised Stores) (-13.0%), Furniture & Lighting (-12.7%), and Hardware, Paints & Glass (-10.1%) showed the largest annual volume declines in December 2022.
The volume of Retail Sales excluding Motor Trades fell by 1.8% in the month and rose by 0.1% in the year when compared with December 2021.
The proportion of Retail Sales transacted online (from Irish registered companies) was 6.2% in December 2022 compared with 6.3% in November 2022, 9.7% in December 2021, and 5.8% in December 2020.
Seasonally Adjusted Retail Sales Index - All Businesses | ||
Base Year 2015 = 100 | ||
Volume Index | Value Index | |
February 2020 | 121.5 | 112.3 |
December 2021 | 124.4 | 119.7 |
November 2022 | 124.9 | 128.9 |
December 2022 | 125.0 | 129.6 |
% change | ||
Monthly | 0.0% | 0.5% |
Annual | 0.5% | 8.3% |
February 2020 - December 2022 | 2.9% | 15.4% |
In December 2022, the volume of Retail Sales for all businesses remained unchanged on the month and rose by 0.5% in the year. Excluding motor trades there was a monthly volume decrease of 1.8% in December 2022, while on an annual basis, retail volumes were 0.1% higher.
In December 2022, the largest monthly volume decreases were in Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (-16.8%), Electrical Goods (-7.7%), and Furniture & Lighting (-5.7%). The largest monthly volume growth was in Motor Trades (+4.0%) and Other Retail Sales (+2.8%).
X-axis label | Monthly percentage change |
---|---|
All Businesses | 0 |
Motor Trades | 4 |
Non-Specialised Stores (incl. Supermarkets) | 1.4 |
Department Stores | 0 |
Food, Beverages & Tobacco | -3.5 |
Fuel | -0.5 |
Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles | -1.7 |
Clothing, Footwear & Textiles | -16.8 |
Furniture & Lighting | -5.7 |
Hardware, Paints & Glass | -3.2 |
Electrical Goods | -7.7 |
Books, Newspapers & Stationery | 0.8 |
Other Retail Sales | 2.8 |
Bars | -0.5 |
In December 2022, the sectors with the largest annual increases in volume were Bars (+54.7%), Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (+7.7%), Electrical Goods (+7.2%), and Department Stores (+5.7%). Large annual falls were seen in Other Retail Sales (-18.0%), Food, Beverages & Tobacco (Specialised Stores) (-13.0%), Furniture & Lighting (-12.7%), and Hardware, Paints & Glass (-10.1%).
X-axis label | Annual percentage change |
---|---|
All Businesses | 0.5 |
Motor Trades | 2.7 |
Non-Specialised Stores (incl. Supermarkets) | 0.6 |
Department Stores | 5.7 |
Food, Beverages & Tobacco | -13 |
Fuel | 2.4 |
Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles | -0.8 |
Clothing, Footwear & Textiles | 7.7 |
Furniture & Lighting | -12.7 |
Hardware, Paints & Glass | -10.1 |
Electrical Goods | 7.2 |
Books, Newspapers & Stationery | -1.1 |
Other Retail Sales | -18 |
Bars | 54.7 |
Compared with February 2020 (34 months earlier and pre-COVID-19), the biggest rise in the volume of Retail Sales in December 2022 was seen in Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (+21.7%), Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles (+16.5%), Electrical Goods (+13.8%), and Hardware, Paints & Glass (+10.8%). The largest volume decreases during the same period occurred in Other Retail Sales (-14.8%), Bars (-12.5%), and Books, Newspapers & Stationery (-9.8%).
X-axis label | February 2020 - December 2022 |
---|---|
All Businesses | 2.9 |
Motor Trades | 2.2 |
Non-Specialised Stores (incl. Supermarkets) | 8.8 |
Department Stores | 2.4 |
Food, Beverages & Tobacco | 5.1 |
Fuel | -3.3 |
Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles | 16.5 |
Clothing, Footwear & Textiles | 21.7 |
Furniture & Lighting | -3.5 |
Hardware, Paints & Glass | 10.8 |
Electrical Goods | 13.8 |
Books, Newspapers & Stationery | -9.8 |
Other Retail Sales | -14.8 |
Bars | -12.5 |
The proportion of Retail Sales transacted online (from Irish registered companies) was 6.2% in December 2022 compared with 6.3% in November 2022, 9.7% in December 2021, and 5.8% in December 2020. Excluding Motor Trades, the proportion of Retail Sales transacted online in December 2022 was 6.8%, compared with 8.4% in November 2022 and 6.3% in December 2021.
Statistician's Comment
Commenting on the release, Stephanie Kelleher, Statistician in the Business Statistics Division, said: "Retail Sales were unchanged in December 2022 when compared with November 2022 on a seasonally adjusted basis. On an annual basis, retail volumes were 0.5% higher than in December 2021. (See Headline Table, Table 1, and Figure 1)
Monthly Changes
In December 2022, monthly volume increases were recorded in Motor Trades (+4.0%), Other Retail Sales (+2.8%), Non-Specialised Stores (incl. Supermarkets) (+1.4%), and Books, Newspapers & Stationery (+0.8%).
The largest monthly volume decreases were in Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (-16.8%), Electrical Goods (-7.7%), Furniture & Lighting (-5.7%), Food, Beverages & Tobacco (Specialised Stores) (-3.5%), and Hardware, Paints & Glass (-3.2%). (See Table 3 and Background Notes)
Annual Changes
The largest annual volume increase was in Bars (+54.7%), however caution should be exercised with this level of growth as it is compared with a low base from the previous year. With the arrival of the COVID-19 Omicron variant in December 2021 restrictions were re-introduced, including an 8pm closing time for bars just before Christmas. Despite this large recovery, Bar sales remained 12.5% lower than their pre-COVID-19 level in February 2020.
Other sectors to show large annual volume increases were Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (+7.7%) and Electrical Goods (+7.2%).
The largest annual volume decreases were recorded in Other Retail Sales (-18.0%), Food, Beverages & Tobacco (Specialised Stores) (-13.0%), Furniture & Lighting (-12.7%), and Hardware, Paints & Glass (-10.1%). (See Tables 3 & 3a)
Value of Retail Sales
The value of Retail Sales was 0.5% higher in December 2022 than November 2022 and was 8.3% higher than a year earlier. Excluding Motor Trades, the value of Retail Sales fell by 0.5% in the month and rose by 7.9% on an annual basis. (See Tables 1 & 2)"
Reference Period
The December (Provisional) period covers five weeks from 27/10/22 to 31/12/22 and the November (Final) period covers four weeks from 30/10/22 to 26/11/22.