In January 2026, the volume of Retail Sales increased by 1.5% in the month and by 3.0% in the 12 months from January 2025.
Excluding Motor Trades, the monthly volume of Retail Sales was up by 0.4% in January 2026 and grew by 2.1% in the year when compared with January 2025.
The value of Retail Sales rose by 1.3% in the month and increased by 4.2% in the 12 months to January 2026.
Sectors showing the highest monthly volume increases were Books, Newspapers & Stationery (+13.8%), Hardware, Paints & Glass (+3.0%), Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (+2.6%), and Fuel (+2.0%).
The largest monthly volume decreases were recorded in Motor Trades (-9.6%), Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles (-7.0%), and Electrical Goods (-2.8%).
In January 2026, the highest annual volume growth was recorded in Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles (+7.3%), Fuel (+4.7%), and Hardware, Paints & Glass (+4.6%).
Sectors showing annual volume declines were Food, Beverages & Tobacco (Specialised Stores) (-3.4%) and Furniture & Lighting (-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 | ||
| January 20262 | 116.7 | 129.4 |
| December 2025 | 114.9 | 127.7 |
| January 2025 | 113.3 | 124.2 |
| % change | ||
| Monthly | 1.5% | 1.3% |
| Annual | 3.0% | 4.2% |
| All Businesses (excl. Motor Trades) | ||
| January 20262 | 113.7 | 125.6 |
| December 2025 | 113.2 | 125.3 |
| January 2025 | 111.3 | 121.3 |
| % change | ||
| Monthly | 0.4% | 0.2% |
| Annual | 2.1% | 3.5% |
| 1Based on Seasonal Patterns up to January 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 January 2026 compared with December 2025.
| X-axis label | Monthly percentage change |
|---|---|
| All Businesses | 1.5 |
| Motor Trades | -9.6 |
| Non-Specialised Stores (incl. Supermarkets) | -0.4 |
| Department Stores | -1 |
| Food, Beverages & Tobacco | -1.1 |
| Fuel | 2 |
| Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles | -7 |
| Clothing, Footwear & Textiles | 2.6 |
| Furniture & Lighting | 0.6 |
| Hardware, Paints & Glass | 3 |
| Electrical Goods | -2.8 |
| Books, Newspapers & Stationery | 13.8 |
| Other Retail Sales | 0.6 |
| Bars | -0.1 |
Figure 2b shows the annual seasonally adjusted volume percentage changes for January 2026 compared with January 2025.
| X-axis label | Annual percentage change |
|---|---|
| All Businesses | 3 |
| Motor Trades | 3.9 |
| Non-Specialised Stores (incl. Supermarkets) | 0.3 |
| Department Stores | 3.6 |
| Food, Beverages & Tobacco | -3.4 |
| Fuel | 4.7 |
| Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles | 7.3 |
| Clothing, Footwear & Textiles | 0.7 |
| Furniture & Lighting | -2.2 |
| Hardware, Paints & Glass | 4.6 |
| Electrical Goods | 2.2 |
| Books, Newspapers & Stationery | 2.6 |
| Other Retail Sales | 2.9 |
| Bars | 1.6 |
Figure 3 shows the percentage of turnover generated by online sales for All Businesses and All Businesses excluding Motor Trades from January 2024 to January 2026.
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Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (27 February 2026) published Retail Sales Index January 2026 (Provisional) and December 2025 (Final).
The January 2026 (Provisional) period covers the four weeks from 04/01/26 to 31/01/26, while the December 2025 (Final) period covers the five weeks from 30/11/25 to 03/01/26.
Commenting on the release, Tommy Allen, Statistician in the Enterprise Statistics Division, said: "The volume of Retail Sales increased by 1.5% in January 2026 when compared with December 2025 on a seasonally adjusted basis. On an annual basis, retail volumes were 3.0% higher than in January 2025.
When Motor Trades are excluded, the volume of Retail Sales rose by 0.4% in the month and by 2.1% in the year when compared with January 2025 (See Table 1 and Figure 1).
Monthly Changes
Sectors showing the highest monthly volume increases were Books, Newspapers & Stationery (+13.8%), Hardware, Paints & Glass (+3.0%), Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (+2.6%), and Fuel (+2.0%).
The largest monthly volume decreases were recorded in Motor Trades (-9.6%), Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles (-7.0%), and Electrical Goods (-2.8%) (See Table 2 and Background Notes).
Annual Changes
In January 2026, the highest annual volume growth was recorded in Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles (+7.3%), Fuel (+4.7%), and Hardware, Paints & Glass (+4.6%).
Sectors showing annual volume declines were Food, Beverages & Tobacco (Specialised Stores) (-3.4%) and Furniture & Lighting (-2.2%) (See Table 2).
Value of Retail Sales
The value of Retail Sales was 1.3% higher in January 2026 than in December 2025 and was up by 4.2% when compared with January 2025. Excluding Motor Trades, the value of Retail Sales rose by 0.2% in the month and by 3.5% on an annual basis (See Tables 1 & 2)."