In September 2026, the volume of Retail Sales decreased by 0.4% in the month and increased by 2.9% in the 12 months from September 2025.
Excluding Motor Trades, the monthly volume of Retail Sales was unchanged in September 2026 and grew by 2.2% in the year when compared with September 2025.
The value of Retail Sales for All Businesses fell by 0.1% in the month and grew by 4.8% in the 12 months to September 2026.
The largest monthly volume decreases were in Books, Newspapers & Stationery (-3.4%) and Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (-1.9%).
Sectors showing the largest monthly volume increases were Department Stores (+2.2%), Furniture & Lighting (+1.1%), and Other Retail Sales (+1.0%).
In September 2026, the highest annual volume growth was recorded in Other Retail Sales (+4.5%), Motor Trades (+4.0%), and Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles (+3.8%).
The largest annual volume declines were recorded in Hardware, Paints & Glass (-5.1%) and Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (-4.1%).
The Fuel sector experienced a monthly volume decrease of 0.8% in September 2026 and was up by 1.6% annually when compared with September 2025. In value terms, Fuel increased by 2.7% in the month and by 11.3% in the year.
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 refer to 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 | ||
| September 20262 | 118.8 | 133.6 |
| August 2026 | 119.3 | 133.8 |
| September 2025 | 115.4 | 127.6 |
| % change | ||
| Monthly | -0.4 | -0.1 |
| Annual | 2.9 | 4.8 |
| All Businesses (excl. Motor Trades) | ||
| September 20262 | 116.4 | 130.0 |
| August 2026 | 116.4 | 129.7 |
| September 2025 | 113.9 | 124.7 |
| % change | ||
| Monthly | 0.0 | 0.3 |
| Annual | 2.2 | 4.3 |
| 1Based on Seasonal Patterns up to September 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 September 2026 compared with August 2026.
| X-axis label | Monthly percentage change |
|---|---|
| All Businesses | -0.4 |
| Motor Trades | -0.9 |
| Non-Specialised Stores (incl. Supermarkets) | 0.5 |
| Department Stores | 2.2 |
| Food, Beverages & Tobacco | -1.2 |
| Fuel | -0.8 |
| Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles | 0.2 |
| Clothing, Footwear & Textiles | -1.9 |
| Furniture & Lighting | 1.1 |
| Hardware, Paints & Glass | -1.4 |
| Electrical Goods | 0.7 |
| Books, Newspapers & Stationery | -3.4 |
| Other Retail Sales | 1 |
| Bars | 0.2 |
Figure 2b shows the annual seasonally adjusted volume percentage changes for September 2026 compared with September 2025.
| X-axis label | Annual percentage change |
|---|---|
| All Businesses | 2.9 |
| Motor Trades | 4 |
| Non-Specialised Stores (incl. Supermarkets) | 2.7 |
| Department Stores | 2.9 |
| Food, Beverages & Tobacco | 0.3 |
| Fuel | 1.6 |
| Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles | 3.8 |
| Clothing, Footwear & Textiles | -4.1 |
| Furniture & Lighting | 2.7 |
| Hardware, Paints & Glass | -5.1 |
| Electrical Goods | -0.3 |
| Books, Newspapers & Stationery | -1.4 |
| Other Retail Sales | 4.5 |
| Bars | 2 |
The sample for the Retail Sales Index is drawn from the population of Ireland’s domestic retail enterprises, non-domestic online retailers are not included. The information provided in figure 3 and table 3 relates only to the online sales conducted by these retail enterprises, rather than representing the entirety of online sales activity. This should not be interpreted as a measure of consumer spending in online retail sales.
Figure 3 shows the percentage of turnover generated by online sales for All Businesses and All Businesses excluding Motor Trades from September 2024 to September 2026.
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Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (28 October 2026) published Retail Sales Index September 2026 (Provisional) and August 2026 (Final).
The September 2026 (Provisional) period covers the five weeks from 30 August 2026 to 03 October 2026, while the August 2026 (Final) period covers the four weeks from 02 August 2026 to 29 August 2026.
Commenting on the release, Tommy Allen, Statistician in the Enterprise Statistics Division, said: "The volume of Retail Sales decreased by 0.4% in September 2026 when compared with August 2026 on a seasonally adjusted basis. On an annual basis, retail volumes were 2.9% higher than in September 2025.
When Motor Trades are excluded, the volume of Retail Sales was unchanged in the month and grew by 2.2% in the year when compared with September 2025 (Refer to Table 1 and Figure 1).
The Fuel sector experienced a monthly volume decline of 0.8% in September 2026 and was up by 1.6% annually when compared with September 2025. In value terms, Fuel increased by 2.7% in the month and by 11.3% in the year. The continuing impact of inflation on the sector is evident as the growth in value outpaces that of volume.
Monthly Changes
The largest monthly volume declines were in Books, Newspapers & Stationery (-3.4%) and Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (-1.9%).
Sectors showing the largest monthly volume increases were Department Stores (+2.2%), Furniture & Lighting (+1.1%), and Other Retail Sales (+1.0%) (Refer to Table 2 and Background Notes).
Annual Changes
In September 2026, the highest annual volume growth was recorded in Other Retail Sales (+4.5%), Motor Trades (+4.0%), and Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles (+3.8%).
The largest annual volume declines were recorded in Hardware, Paints & Glass (-5.1%) and Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (-4.1%).
Value of Retail Sales
The value of Retail Sales was 0.1% lower in September 2026 than in August 2026 and was up by 4.8% when compared with September 2025. Excluding Motor Trades, the value of Retail Sales rose by 0.3% in the month and by 4.3% on an annual basis (Refer to Tables 1 & 2)."