The volume of Retail Sales was unchanged in the month and increased by 0.8% in the 12 months to May 2026.
Excluding Motor Trades, the monthly volume of Retail Sales was up by 0.2% in May 2026 and grew by 0.4% in the year when compared with May 2025.
The value of Retail Sales for All Businesses rose by 0.7% in the month and increased by 3.0% in the 12 months to May 2026.
The monthly value of Retail Sales for Fuel decreased by 2.0% since April 2026, however, May 2026 saw an increase of 7.0% in the year when compared with May 2025.
Sectors showing monthly volume increases were Furniture & Lighting (+2.1%), Motor Trades (+1.8%), Other Retail Sales (+1.5%), and Hardware, Paints & Glass (+1.2%).
The largest monthly volume decreases were recorded in Food, Beverages & Tobacco (Specialised Stores) (-4.5%), Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles (-1.9%), and Bars (-0.9%).
In May 2026, the highest annual volume growth was recorded in Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles (+4.5%), Other Retail Sales (+4.3%), and Electrical Goods (+3.1%).
Sectors showing the largest annual volume declines were Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (-7.5%), Furniture & Lighting (-5.1%), and Fuel (-4.6%).
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 | ||
| May 20262 | 115.4 | 129.7 |
| April 2026 | 115.4 | 128.8 |
| May 2025 | 114.5 | 126.0 |
| % change | ||
| Monthly | 0.0% | 0.7% |
| Annual | 0.8% | 3.0% |
| All Businesses (excl. Motor Trades) | ||
| May 20262 | 114.1 | 127.3 |
| April 2026 | 113.8 | 127.3 |
| May 2025 | 113.6 | 123.6 |
| % change | ||
| Monthly | 0.2% | 0.0% |
| Annual | 0.4% | 3.0% |
| 1Based on Seasonal Patterns up to May 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 May 2026 compared with April 2026.
| X-axis label | Monthly percentage change |
|---|---|
| All Businesses | 0 |
| Motor Trades | 1.8 |
| Non-Specialised Stores (incl. Supermarkets) | 0 |
| Department Stores | -0.3 |
| Food, Beverages & Tobacco | -4.5 |
| Fuel | -0.1 |
| Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles | -1.9 |
| Clothing, Footwear & Textiles | -0.4 |
| Furniture & Lighting | 2.1 |
| Hardware, Paints & Glass | 1.2 |
| Electrical Goods | -0.2 |
| Books, Newspapers & Stationery | -0.1 |
| Other Retail Sales | 1.5 |
| Bars | -0.9 |
Figure 2b shows the annual seasonally adjusted volume percentage changes for May 2026 compared with May 2025.
| X-axis label | Annual percentage change |
|---|---|
| All Businesses | 0.8 |
| Motor Trades | 1.9 |
| Non-Specialised Stores (incl. Supermarkets) | -0.2 |
| Department Stores | -0.3 |
| Food, Beverages & Tobacco | -1 |
| Fuel | -4.6 |
| Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles | 4.5 |
| Clothing, Footwear & Textiles | -7.5 |
| Furniture & Lighting | -5.1 |
| Hardware, Paints & Glass | 2.7 |
| Electrical Goods | 3.1 |
| Books, Newspapers & Stationery | 2.9 |
| Other Retail Sales | 4.3 |
| Bars | -0.2 |
Figure 3 shows the percentage of turnover generated by online sales for All Businesses and All Businesses excluding Motor Trades from May 2024 to May 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 (29 June 2026) published Retail Sales Index May 2026 (Provisional) and April 2026 (Final).
The May 2026 (Provisional) period covers the four weeks from 03/05/26 to 30/05/26, while the April 2026 (Final) period covers the four weeks from 05/04/26 to 02/05/26.
Commenting on the release, Tommy Allen, Statistician in the Enterprise Statistics Division, said: "The volume of Retail Sales was unchanged in May 2026 when compared with April 2026 on a seasonally adjusted basis. On an annual basis, retail volumes were 0.8% higher than in May 2025.
When Motor Trades are excluded, the volume of Retail Sales rose by 0.2% in the month and by 0.4% in the year when compared with May 2025 (See Table 1 and Figure 1).
The Fuel sector experienced a 2.0% monthly value decrease in May 2026 and was up by 7.0% when compared with May 2025. In volume terms, Fuel fell by 0.1% in the month and by 4.6% in the year. The continued divergence of value and volume reflects the inflation currently being experienced in the sector.
Monthly Changes
Sectors showing monthly volume increases were Furniture & Lighting (+2.1%), Motor Trades (+1.8%), Other Retail Sales (+1.5%), and Hardware, Paints & Glass (+1.2%).
The largest monthly volume decreases were recorded in Food, Beverages & Tobacco (Specialised Stores) (-4.5%), Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles (-1.9%), and Bars (-0.9%) (See Table 2 and Background Notes).
Annual Changes
In May 2026, the highest annual volume growth was recorded in Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles (+4.5%), Other Retail Sales (+4.3%), and Electrical Goods (+3.1%).
Sectors showing the largest annual volume declines were Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (-7.5%), Furniture & Lighting (-5.1%), and Fuel (-4.6%) (See Table 2).
Value of Retail Sales
The value of Retail Sales was 0.7% higher in May 2026 than in April 2026 and was up by 3.0% when compared with May 2025. Excluding Motor Trades, the value of Retail Sales was unchanged in the month and rose by 3.0% on an annual basis (See Tables 1 & 2)."