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Services

1.9%
The decrease in the volume of Retail Sales from 2019 to 2020

This chapter contains information on the Services sector. Data is taken from the Retail Sales Inquiry (RSI) and the Monthly Services Inquiry (MSI). The primary purpose of the Retail Sales Inquiry is to provide a short-term indication of changes in the value and volume (or quantity) of retail sales in Ireland. The Monthly Services Inquiry measures changes in output in the non-financial traded services sector.

Visit table RSA05 on PxStat

Link to release: Retail Sales Index

YearsAll BusinessesAll Businesses excluding Motors
2015100100
2016107.5104.9
2017111.8110.9
2018115.9115.1
2019118.5120.2
2020116.3121.4

The primary purpose of the RSI is to provide a short-term indication of changes in the value and volume (or quantity) of retail sales in Ireland. It provides an accurate and objective measure of retail trading and supplies a valuable guide to consumer spending behaviour in the Irish economy.

In 2020, the annual volume of retail sales in All Businesses decreased by 1.9% when compared to 2019, while All Businesses excl. Motor Trades increased by 1.0%. The sectors with the largest annual decreases in 2020, when compared with 2019, were Bars (-59.4%), Books, Newspapers & Stationery (-26.0%) and Clothing, Footwear & Textiles (-20.7%). The sectors showing the largest increases in volume of sales in 2020, when compared to 2019, were Electrical Goods (+16.4%), Food, Beverages & Tobacco (Specialised Stores) (+14.8%) and Hardware, Paints & Glass (+14.2%).

Table 13.1 Volume Indices of Retail Sales
Base year 2015=100
Businesses201520162017201820192020
Motor Trades100.0113.3113.6117.6115.0105.2
Non-Specialised Stores (incl. Supermarkets) 100.0104.2109.3115.3119.9134.6
Department Stores 100.099.8106.7110.5108.288.5
Food, Beverages & Tobacco100.0102.7104.6107.3110.1126.4
Fuel100.0101.9103.5104.5105.688.8
Pharmaceuticals, Medical & Cosmetic Articles100.0105.1111.0117.0123.9131.0
Clothing, Footwear & Textiles100.0106.4113.2115.1119.294.5
Furniture & Lighting100.0112.3131.1143.4160.1157.4
Hardware, Paints & Glass100.0106.7116.3126.2134.8154.0
Electrical Goods100.0110.5126.5148.8173.7202.2
Books, Newspapers & Stationery100.098.899.4102.9103.576.6
Other Retail Sales100.0106.9112.7105.6110.3121.6
Bars 100.0103.1106.8105.6101.641.2
All Businesses excl. Motor Trades100.0104.9110.9115.1120.2121.4
All Businesses 100.0107.5111.8115.9118.5116.3
Combined Groups
All Businesses excl. Motor Trades & Bars100.0105.0111.2115.8121.4126.8
Motors & Fuel100.0112.1112.6116.3114.0103.5
All Businesses excl. Motor Trades, Fuel & Bars100.0105.2111.7116.4122.4129.1
Food Businesses100.0104.1108.8114.4118.8133.7
Non-Food excl. Motor Trades, Fuel & Bars100.0106.1114.1118.1125.3125.3
Household Equipment100.0109.9124.6141.4160.0179.4
Books, Newspapers, Stationery & Other Goods100.0105.9111.1105.3109.5116.2
Source: CSO
Table 13.2 Value Indices of Monthly Services
Base year 2015=100
Sector 201520162017201820192020
Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and Motorcycles (G)100.0100.0101.2107.8106.3100.8
Transportation and Storage (H)100.0101.3102.6110.2118.483.1
Accommodation and Food Service Activities (I)100.0103.2108.7118.6122.360.9
Information and Communication (J)100.0107.4109.3128.2160.7172.9
Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities (M)100.0109.0121.4116.1101.994.1
Administrative and Support Service Activities (N)100.0100.1108.3122.9100.479.1
Other Service Activities (68, 92,93,95,96)100.0112.6117.8104.4117.880.2
All Services (45 to 63, 68 to 82, 92 to 96)100.0104.5108.4117.0125.2115.8
Source: CSO

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Link to release: Monthly Services Index

In 2020, the annual value of the monthly services decreased by 7.5% since 2019. Information and Communication was the only sector which increased between 2019 and 2020 (+7.6%). The largest annual decrease between 2019 and 2020 occurred in the Accommodation and Food Service Activities sector (-50.2%).

99.8%
of enterprises in Distribution and Services sectors in 2019 were SMEs
Table 13.3 Distribution sector and Services sector key variables, 2017 - 20191
Percentage change
  2017201820192018 - 2019
Distribution (G)     
Enterprises No. 48,59847,78946,786-2.1%
   of which: SMEs (<250 persons engaged)48,49847,68046,671-2.1%
                   Large (250+ persons engaged)1001091155.5%
Persons Engaged No. 367,405374,968390,5464.2%
   of which: SMEs (<250 persons engaged)264,684267,160277,4823.9%
                   Large (250+ persons engaged)102,721107,808113,0644.9%
Turnover €m186,677182,394192,6175.6%
   of which: SMEs (<250 persons engaged) 158,820152,308147,389-3.2%
                   Large (250+ persons engaged) 27,85730,08545,22850.3%
Gross Value Added€m22,39423,46525,88410.3%
   of which: SMEs (<250 persons engaged)17,15818,33217,964-2.0%
                   Large (250+ persons engaged) 5,2375,1337,92054.3%
Services (H-N, R92,R93,S95,S96 excluding K)
Enterprises No. 158,574157,290160,9062.3%
   of which: SMEs (<250 persons engaged)158,311156,992160,5532.3%
                   Large (250+ persons engaged)26329835318.5%
Persons Engaged No. 774,572803,147900,08612.1%
   of which: SMEs (<250 persons engaged)569,159579,576629,8508.7%
                   Large (250+ persons engaged)205,413223,571270,23620.9%
Turnover €m217,552254,492299,22417.6%
   of which: SMEs (<250 persons engaged) 109,517114,141126,41410.8%
                   Large (250+ persons engaged) 108,036140,351172,81023.1%
Gross Value Added€m75,60790,718101,20711.6%
   of which: SMEs (<250 persons engaged)40,81246,40750,8069.5%
                   Large (250+ persons engaged) 34,79544,31150,40113.7%
Source: CSO
1Totals may differ due to rounding.

In 2019, the number of enterprises in the Distribution sector decreased by 2.1%, while it increased by 2.3% in the Services sector.

As was the case in 2018, almost all (99.8%) of the enterprises in both sectors were SMEs with less than 250 persons engaged.

The average GVA per person engaged in the Distribution and Services sectors in 2019 increased to €98,500 from €96,900 in 2018.

Large Service enterprises had the largest GVA per person engaged in 2019 amounting to €186,500, while the lowest was in Distribution sector SMEs at €64,700.

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Link to release: Structural Business Statistics

X-axis labelTurnoverGross Value Added
2017 - Distribution18667722394
2018 - Distribution18239423465
2019 - Distribution19261725884
2017 - Services21755275607
2018 - Services25449290718
2019 - Services299224101207

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