IRELAND’S RETAIL SECTOR saw a pre-Christmas boost last month, as the volume of sales grew by 1.6 per cent on October.
Figures published this morning by the Central Statistics Office also showed that the value of retail sales last month was up by 1.1 per cent on the previous month.
If the motor trade – which amounts for a significant chunk of retailing – is discounted, the volume of sales was up even higher: by 1.8 per cent.
Clothing and footwear sales saw the highest surge in November, with the value of sales up by 6 per cent, while furniture and lighting (4.4 per cent) and electrical goods (2.9 per cent) also performed strongly.
The value of sales in bars (-0.6 per cent), of pharmaceuticals (-0.6 per cent) and fuel (-0.4 per cent) were down on October, however.
Though both the value and volume of sales is down compared to the same month last year, the boost from October will be welcome news to the retail sector in advance of the Christmas rush.
Last month’s retail figures were the lowest since the recession kicked in, with sales down 9 per cent from their 2005 levels, and down by a fifth from their peak in 2007.
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